


Flying Lead Change

by vesseltyler



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Equestrianism, Eren Yeager Has Heterochromia Iridum, Horseback Riding, M/M, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-15
Updated: 2016-08-02
Packaged: 2018-03-07 15:25:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 42,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3176777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vesseltyler/pseuds/vesseltyler
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren Jaeger wants nothing more than to be a rider at Wings of Freedom Equestrian Centre. With no formal training, things weren't looking so good for him. But with the appearance of Levi Ackerman, a champion eventer, Eren just might be able to make it to the top. Things aren't as easy as they seem, though, and Eren encounters problems that may change his life, though he's not sure if they're for better or for worse.</p><p>//abandoned fic//</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hej, and welcome to my first fanfic! 
> 
> This is a modern horse rider AU, and there are a few things I would like to note on that.  
> First, I am not part of the competitive riding world, so please forgive any inaccuracies regarding that, I try my best.  
> Second, if you're not part of the horse world, you may be unfamiliar with the lingo! I'll post a note at the end of each chapter that will contain any new "vocabulary" from within the chapter. 
> 
> Special thanks to [racy-riren](http://www.racy-riren.tumblr.com) and my friend Sam (pseud The_Artist_Friend) for reading this first chapter and helping me out.
> 
> I apologise for any mistakes in grammar, spelling, or punctuation. :D
> 
> I can be reached on tumblr as [tinycaptainlevi](http://www.tinycaptainlevi.tumblr.com)
> 
> That's all for now, enjoy!
> 
> Edit: Because of the way Ao3 formats first chapter publishing, I've added the end notes into the chapter itself to avoid them appearing at the end of the most recent chapter.

Eren sighed heavily as he snatched up the muck rake he had left leaning against the wall. Kicking a large bucket towards the stall door, he began the tiresome task of mucking out his fourteenth stall that day. Two more after this, and he would be done with the least pleasant part of his job.

The long aisle, lined on either side with roomy stalls of gleaming wood, was empty. Not unusual for 7:00 on a Tuesday morning. There weren’t even any horses milling about in their stalls to bear witness to Eren’s frustrated grumbling. Sure, Eren loved working at Freedom Equestrian Centre (Wings of Freedom Equestrian Centre, if you wanted to get official. Hardly anyone did, however.) But, he knew of no one who actually enjoyed cleaning out the stalls. There was no action, no excitement. Just an empty barn and piles of wet shavings.

Typically, this part of the job was manageable. Eren’s best friend and fellow stable hand, Armin, would work side by side with Eren—providing company and cutting muck time in half. Today, however, Armin was out sick, and Eren was left to clean sixteen of the facility’s thirty-two stalls on his own.

All of the horses were out in the pastures, but once Eren was done with the stalls, it was his job to bring them back in. Freedom Equestrian Centre housed some of the finest horses in Colorado. A majority of the horses were Warmbloods; outstanding stars of eventing and jumping, but there was a good number of specialised dressage horses, amongst others.

If any horse or rider showed the slightest bit of potential, they were referred to the Wings of Freedom Equestrian Centre to be trained to near perfection. Owned and operated by a man named Dot Pixis, it was considered to be the best training facility in the Western United States. Only the best of the best got to train at the famed facilities, surrounded by champion trainers and horses alike.

The stables were filled with plenty of elite riders, but alongside them, there were people like Eren. The hopeful wannabes who would do just about anything to perhaps gain a spot in the training schedules. Though he was only just a stable hand for the moment, Eren had been hoping ever since he started working here that once he turned eighteen, he would be allowed into the eventing program.

Ever since he had been a young boy, Eren had had an intense love of horses—a love that had only increased when he discovered the world of competitive riding. At fourteen, he discovered Freedom Equestrian Centre, and had made it his personal duty to stop by every day after school. His constant visits had piqued the interest of Pixis, and it didn’t take long for him to get to know the young boy.

Eren had lived on a small farm, with his mother, father, and adopted sister. They used to have an abundance of dairy cows, but the business died out after Eren’s dad had become a travelling doctor in far off countries. With the dad out of the picture a majority of the time, they’d sold their property and moved into an average suburban neighbourhood when Eren was twelve, much to his dismay. After growing up in open spaces with a variety of animals to keep him company, he felt lonely and claustrophobic in the town. There were no horses to ride, no kittens to feed, no chickens to tease. Everything was dull and uneventful.

Upon Pixis’ discovery of this, he was quick to offer Eren a small job. He would work at the Freedom Equestrian Centre, doing small jobs such as cleaning tack, sweeping aisles, and mucking stalls. In exchange, Pixis would allow him time with the horses. He was free to spend time with any horse, be it in the pasture or in the stall. He wasn’t allowed to ride, as many of the horses were far too unpredictable for that, but he had free reign over the property.

His job was demanding, as was to be expected. Work at a nationally famous barn was not something to be taken lightly. There were a large number of stalls split between the two main barns, and their large size meant it could take up to twenty minutes to clean just one. The long aisles were to be kept swept clean at all times, and the tack was to be kept in perfect condition. Any damage to the leather would be paid for by Eren out of his own pocket.

These terms were set three years ago, and Eren’s responsibilities had grown considerably since then. He was still required to muck the stalls three times a day and keep the tack and aisles clean, but he was also in charge of making sure the horses were brought in and out of pasture on time, feeding twice a day, and occasionally grooming and tacking up a horse before a lesson. In addition to this, he was now paid a good amount for his hard work.

Unlike when he had first started, there were a few horses that Eren was allowed to ride. Erwin Smith, the head trainer, had begun to offer his giant Belgian Warmblood mare for Eren to ride. Follow the Leader, known as Folly around the barn, was what could be described as a “gentle giant.” Despite her impressive 17.2 hands high, she had the temperament of schooling pony. She had been a former eventing horse—Erwin’s former eventing horse, actually. After Erwin went through a bad fall that left him unable to compete again, they were both retired. At twenty two years, Folly’s competing days were over, but Erwin would never dream of giving the flaxen mare away. But since he was having a harder and harder time riding lately, he’d started asking Eren to keep her in good shape for him.

Eren, of course, was overjoyed. He looked forward to their twice-weekly rides. Folly was an easy ride, and her gaits were smoother than you would expect from such a massive creature.

The only other horse Eren rode frequently was Sasha Braus’s Dutch Warmblood jumper named Batteries Not Included, more commonly called Bat. The lively bay needed to be ridden daily, which Sasha couldn’t always manage. On days she couldn’t make it, she would let Eren know. He wasn’t allowed to jump Bat, but he could do just about anything else he pleased to keep his energy levels at a normal place.

Eren exited the stall and went in search of a new bag of shavings. They were getting low in the stall, and he felt it needed a little more. It wouldn’t be time to change the shavings completely until Thursday. And when he did that, he would have Armin to help out.

Armin had overheard Eren talking about his work when they were fifteen, which led to him cautiously approaching Eren to find out more. They had become instant friends, and Eren invited the blonde to join him at the stables after school that day. Pixis had taken to Armin instantly, and he too was soon working for Pixis under the same conditions as Eren.

The two worked together every day after school. They’d take the bus directly to the stables, and think of creative ways to get home when no one was available to pick them up. Between school and their work, they became close friends in a matter of weeks. They shared an enthusiasm for horses, and loved the daily opportunity they had.  Weekends were spent entirely at the barn, and homework was done in the observatory rooms. Everything in their lives centred around horses.

Now that they were older, even more time was spent at the barn. They’d graduated back in May, and it was nearing September now. Their days were dedicated solely to horses. Their daily hours varied, but Eren and Armin were typically working from 5:30 am to 7:00 pm. Although the hours were long, there were three stable hands and plenty of work to do, so they were never bored.

Krista was the third—a small, quiet blonde girl who had only recently started. She wasn’t one for riding, but her girlfriend, a dressage rider named Ymir had convinced Pixis to give her a job. She was slightly scared of the horses, but Eren had made it his civil duty to show her how amazing they were. She was now able to bring in a few of the calmer horses on her own, but stuck mostly to cleaning. Eren wasn’t about to complain about that. It meant less work for him.

Eren wondered where she was as he spread the new shavings evenly. He hadn’t seen her all morning, which was unusual. Perhaps she had been late and he had missed saying hello to her. She was working in the other barn that day, after all.

He hoped that was the case, or he would be stuck doing another row of stalls.

Eren breezed through the last two stalls and swept the aisle one last time before heading towards the second barn. The permanent caretaker, Nile Dawk, was away on vacation for a few days, so Krista was going to have to help him bring in a few horses this morning. Eren cursed Armin’s absence; things were much more difficult when there were only two people.

Thankfully, Eren found Krista just as she was putting her muck rake away. “Oh thank god, you’re here,” he greeted her.

“Good morning to you, too, Eren. Where’s Armin?”

“Out sick. It’s just you and me today. I’m finished, so we can dump everything and start bringing in the horses. You’ve gotta help me, I can’t bring them all in alone today.”

Krista sighed and followed after him, pushing her wheelbarrow. “Alright. Who’s on the list this morning?”

“The typical group. Most are being brought in before lunch.” He stopped. “Wait, did Pixis feed this morning?” If he had fed them before they were put out, then they only had about half of the horses to bring in. If he hadn’t, then all the horses would need to be brought in and fed.

“Yeah, he did.”

Eren breathed a sigh of relief and continued walking. “Good. I’m not bringing in over 30 horses on my own.”

“I am helping you, you know.” Krista reminded.

He waved his hand. “Yeah, but you’re too afraid to go near half of them.” Eren heard her huff in response.

“Fine. Just grab yours and let’s go.”

He dumped the mostly filled bucket into the wheelbarrow and followed after Krista. They emptied both the wheelbarrows on the growing manure pile that was a good distance away from the barn. He’d have to take it away later today; it was getting too big again.

After putting their wheelbarrows back in their places, they each grabbed a halter off a door and headed towards the west pasture. Krista was bringing in Folly, and Eren was taking Ymir’s, a 15.2 hand dark bay Andalusian mare named Historically Yours.

Eren dug two treats out of his pocket and handed one to Krista. Folly was easy enough to catch, but it was nice to give her a treat anyways. A few horses gathered around the gate as he was opening it, but he shooed them off to allow them entrance. He looked around the large field, and spotted Historical all the way on the far side.

A slight breeze had picked up, and Eren shivered as he closed the gate behind them before heading towards his target, halter and treat in hand. Historical was high strung, and a pain in the ass to catch. He found it easier to deal with her first, as it was always harder to catch her when everyone else was gone. It was backwards, you’d think she would want to go with all her friends after they’d left, but that must’ve made too much sense.

Eren looked behind him to see Krista leading Folly towards the gate. She’d be able to handle it from here. Probably.

The gods must have been watching over Eren on this day, because Historical didn’t even raise her head as he approached. He draped the lead rope over her neck and used the treat to prompt her head up. He slipped on the leather halter and gathered up the lead rope.

He made the long trek back to the barn, and shut her safely in her stall with a small bit of hay before heading back out to bring in the rest.

By the time they had finished, the early morning riders were beginning to appear. Eren nodded hello to them as they passed to ready their horses.

He had been requested by Ymir to get Historical ready for their lesson, and he decided today would be a good day to have Krista help him out with the tacking up. It was her girlfriend’s horse, after all.

He slung the bridle over his shoulder and gathered the saddle in his arms. “Kristaaa…” he called as he made his way towards her. “You’re helping me today!” Eren heard her groan drifting from inside a stall.

“Uh, why are you in there?” He asked as she emerged and rested a rake against the door. “Isn’t that one empty?”

“Eren, you really need to keep up with the happenings of this barn.”

“I do keep up! What’re you talking about?”

“Have you really not heard?” She sighed and Eren grew more confused.

“Heard about what?”

“The new boarder?”

“Wait, we have a new boarder?”

“Yes! Apparently he was big over in France, but wanted a chance to get experience training in another country. He’s arriving later today, I think. After morning lessons.”

Eren smiled in excitement. “A new rider? Oh, that’s amazing! From France, too! Who told you?”

“It’s been floating around for a few days now. But with the way you and Armin go into your little horse world, I’m not surprised you didn’t know.”

“Humph.”  He adjusted his grip on the saddle; it was getting heavy. “So are you coming or not? I figure you should help. I’m sure Ymir would love it!” Eren grinned at her, knowing she would give in.

“Fine, but only because it’s for Ymir.”

Eren grinned wider and handed her the saddle. “You carry it. I’m tired.”

She only shot him a weak glare before following.

It took twice as long as usual to groom and tack up, because Krista kept moving away anytime Historical moved, but eventually she was groomed and tacked. Eren left her at the crossties to wait for Ymir. He didn’t want to see their gooey romance when Ymir found out Krista had tacked up her horse.

Eren found himself growing more and more excited about this new rider.

New riders were exciting. New riders meant new horses. New riders meant new experiences. They always brought something unique to the barn--something that only they could have brought. Everyone had a different background; a different story with different experiences. To Eren, that was something beautiful.

Time dragged on as Eren finished up his morning tasks, and he felt grateful when the last of the riders exited the arena at 11:00. They were in charge of their horses today, as Pixis had requested in between the jumping and dressage lesson that Eren be there for the arrival of the new horse.

11:30; that was the time he had to wait until. At 11:30, a new horse would be arriving. A new horse, and a new champion. He was barely able to contain his excitement.

Eren waited anxiously outside, pacing back and forth and straining his ears for any sound of tires crunching across gravel. It was a shame Armin was missing this today. He would’ve been just as excited, especially with his love for geography and travel.

Eren, as was usual, got lost in his thoughts and didn’t notice the truck coming up the long driveway until it was already backing up to unload. A large gleaming trailer was being pulled behind it, and though he couldn’t yet see the horse, he knew it was in there.

Eren forced himself to stand in place, with his feet firmly on the ground. No jumping, he reminded himself. It could potentially scare the horse, and that was not something you ever wanted to do, especially when the creature had just endured a long and stressful ride.

The passenger side door of the truck opened, and a man stepped out. He was wearing black breeches and short black paddock boots—neither of them appeared to have a speck of dirt on them. His back still to Eren, he pulled on a grey hoodie over his black hair. Eren couldn’t tell for sure from a distance, but the short locks appeared to be cut in an undercut.

He pushed the door shut and turned around. Sharp grey eyes met Eren’s, and he froze.

Oh, shit.

 

* * *

** Notes **

Glossary:  
Bay- A brown horse with black mane, tail, and lower legs  
Cross-Country- [xx](http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-country_equestrianism)  
Cross Ties- Long ropes that hook to either side of a halter to keep a horse in place while tacking up  
Dressage- [xx](http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dressage)  
Eventing- An equestrian event where a horse and rider compete in dressage, cross-country, and show jumping  
Flaxen- A light coloured horse with a mane and tail that are lighter than the body  
Gaits- The “paces” of a horse—Walk, Trot, Canter, and Gallop.  
Gelding- castrated male horse  
Halter- The horse equivalent of a collar  
Hand- A Hand is a unit of measurement equal to 4 inches, used to measure the height of a horse at the highest point of the withers (ridge between the shoulder blades of a four legged mammal) (17.2 HH=175 cm)  
Lead Rope- The horse equivalent of a leash  
Mare- Female horse  
Mucking- Cleaning a stall  
Show Jumping- [xx](http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Show_jumping)  
Stallion- uncastrated male horse  
Tack- The equipment used to ride a horse, such as the saddle and bridle  
Tacking up- The act of putting the tack on the horse in preparation of riding


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren meets the new arrival.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hej! 
> 
> I'm glad you all enjoyed the first chapter! I definitely plan to continue with this, so check back often! I'm not yet sure about an update schedule, so for now I'll just update as I write. As things get further along, I'll likely pick an update day. 
> 
> I'm not entirely pleased with this chapter, and scrapped and rewrote a lot of it. My writing skills are still developing, so bear with me please!
> 
> Special thanks to Sam (the_artist_friend) for helping me out with the French. We apologise for any mistakes made with it. I also apologise for in mistakes in spelling, punctuation, or grammar. 
> 
> My tumblr is [tinycaptainlevi](http://www.tinycaptainlevi.tumblr.com), so check it out if you want! I've also created a sideblog just for this fic at [rymdhingst](http://www.rymdhingst.tumblr.com). I will be posting various things that go along with this fic, most notably art of each of the horses as well as a full glossary and any side stories I write.
> 
> Enjoy!

Eren’s mouth fell open and he no longer had trouble standing still. He did, however, have trouble with remaining standing.

The man’s piercing gaze was holding him in place, but that was not what was making him feel weak in the knees.

To keep it in simple terms, he was damn hot. A sharp, angular face was framed by black hair that was just long enough to fall in front of his silvery eyes. It was slightly messy due to the hoodie that had been pulled over it, but he had fixed it back into place before Eren had gotten the chance to fully appreciate it. He made a quiet noise of protest and slapped his hand over his mouth, eyes widening in embarrassment. 

The man raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow and looked at him questioningly. When he had first looked at Eren, he had seemed incredibly bored, and incredibly unimpressed. But for a moment, his eyes showed something that Eren would’ve called curiosity, had the man not looked away immediately.

His gaze focused on something just over Eren’s shoulder and the young boy heaved a sigh of relief at the cold stare’s absence. He looked at the ground, then over his own shoulder to see what had captured the man’s attention—anything to avoid staring. 

The focus of his attention had evidently been on Pixis and Erwin, who were walking out of the indoor arena. Pixis was grinning, and Erwin seemed to have a slight smile as well.

Eren turned his attention back to the stranger as the two men grew closer. His attempts to avoid staring proved futile now that the stranger’s attention wasn’t focused on Eren, he took the chance to admire everything about him. 

As he left the side of the truck to greet Pixis and Erwin, Eren noticed he was short—incredibly short. In fact, Eren was sure he’d seen more than a few horses taller than him. But his lack of height was made up for in… well, everything else. Or, nearly everything else. There were some things that required a certain amount of intimacy to discover.

A blush warmed Eren’s cheeks, and he put his hands up in an attempt to cover his reddening face, knowing he looked like a fool. 

"Levi!" Erwin called out cheerfully. The short man only gave an irritated grunt in response. 

So, that was his name. Levi. It seemed fitting. 

Levi passed by Eren, and he felt the blood in his face rush elsewhere as he got a closer look at Levi. 

Holy fuck.

He did indeed have an undercut, but that's not what caught Eren's attention. 

The close fitting black breeches hugged his ass, and Eren found himself unable to look away. 

There he was, standing at the top of the driveway, gaping at another man’s butt with a flushed face and a hard on. He was sure he was making an absolute perfect first impression. 

But, that was an issue for later. Right now, Eren's thoughts were completely encompassed by that perfectly sculpted ass. 

His mind strayed, imagining Levi grinding into Eren, his ass pressing firm against—

"—is Eren." 

Eren jolted out of his thoughts when he heard his name being mentioned. Blood had rushed to opposite ends of his body, leaving him feeling slightly dizzy. 

"Huh?" He mumbled, embarrassed by his train of thought. 

"Nice of you to join us, Eren." Pixis said teasingly. 

Eren lowered his eyes and muttered an apology. When he looked back up, he swore he could see Levi smirk. 

"I was just telling Levi about you, our hardest worker." 

Eren blinked a few times before he jumped to attention. "T-thank you, sir!" 

Pixis only chuckled and turned back to Levi. "He's been working here for 3 years now. Real good with the horses." 

Levi nodded and glanced over to Eren, running his eyes across his body in a way that felt extremely suggestive. 

Eren crossed and uncrossed his arms, feeling uncomfortable. There was no way for him to hide his arousal in his current situation. All he could do was hope and pray Levi's searching eyes didn't notice. 

Obviously, that would be too much to ask. Levi's gaze lingered on Eren's crotch before he looked away with a smirk. 

Erens face flamed bright red, and he turned on his heel towards the trailer as he stuttered out "S-so, should we s-start unloading?" 

His words were accented by a sharp kick to the side of the trailer, to which Levi responded with a shout of "Arrête!" 

Eren jumped, but the only response from inside the trailer was a quiet snort. 

"Dumbass should know better than to do that." Levi muttered as he walked up behind Eren. 

Addressing the brunette, he deadpanned, "I'm sure you're just dying to help, but Corporal doesn't appreciate brats." 

Eren couldn't tell if he was joking or not—the bored expression on his face was impossible to read. 

"Eren, why don't you direct Levi to the stall once Corporal's been unloaded?" Pixis offered. 

Feeling slightly disappointed that he wouldn't be helping with the horse, Eren nodded and stepped back to lean against a wall to watch. 

Levi walked to the door at the front of the trailer and disappeared inside, reappearing after only a few minutes. He shut the door gently behind him and circled around to the back of the trailer. 

"Open them," He ordered. Eren was taken aback by his demanding voice, shocked that he would speak that way to what was likely his new trainer. 

Erwin only chuckled and unlatched the metal doors before swinging them open slowly. He pulled down the ramp, and stepped back. 

"It's all yours." 

Levi grunted in acknowledgement and walked gently up the ramp. He murmured soothingly to his horse as he lowered the butt bar and pushed the divider to the side. 

"Ça va, Corporal. Ça va... Mon lapin..."

He moved further into the trailer, and Eren lost sight of him. There were soft clicking noises, followed by the dull thud of hooves. 

"Ça va, Bel Homme," Levi soothed, coaxing the horse out of the trailer. "Ça va, mon cheval noir." 

The black beast took several hesitant steps back, hesitating until levi clicked his tongue once more. "Oui, bon, mon cheval noir." 

A few more steps back, and hooves came in contact with the gravel. 

"C'est tout, oui, bon." 

Levi continued backing the horse with soft words and clicks until all four legs were safely on solid ground. He patted the horse's neck fondly. 

"Bon. Bon garçon, Corporal." 

Corporal shook his head and snorted, and Levi chuckled softly. "Oui, bon garçon." 

Now that the beast was fully on the ground, Eren took his time in admiring it. 

Corporal's black coat shone in the midday sun, practically the same colour as his riders hair. He was entirely black, apart from white socks on three of his legs. 

He was a beautiful creature, a powerful creature. He tossed his mane, muscles rippling under his skin. 

As Levi spoke unfamiliar words and led Corporal around to inspect his new surroundings, Eren noted that Corporal was a good bit taller than Levi. If he had to guess, he would say the elegant horse was around 16 hands, give or take a little. 

He was unsure of the breed, but it was definitely a warmblood. Something light, and not a heavier breed like the Dutch or Belgian warmbloods. 

His temperament gave no positive indication as to whether he was a stallion or gelding, but Eren was edging more towards stallion, especially based off the lively prancing he was showing off. 

Levi handled him easily, and it was evident he was very familiar with his horse. After a minute more of snorting and prancing, Corporal began to settle down. 

Eren noticed Erwin and Pixis had moved back towards the arena, and we're now discussing something in hushed voices. 

"He's okay now." Levi spoke softly, but the two men heard him regardless. Eren noticed a slight accent in his voice, but was disappointed when it disappeared completely in his next sentence. "Have the brat show me to the stall." 

Pixis nodded at Eren and he perked up. 

"Get Corporal settled in, and we'll all meet at my office to get acquainted. Eren, bring Ar-" he paused halfway through the name and frowned, remembering his absence. "Oh, right. Eren, you'll just have to relay everything to Armin later." 

"Aye, sir!" 

* * *

 

Eren avoided all eye contact with Levi as Erwin and Pixis wandered off, leaving them alone. 

"Corporal doesn't appreciate brats." Levi interrupted Eren just as he was about to speak, with the same words he'd used earlier. 

"Um, I-I'm sorry. I can go ahead of you, then?" He offered lamely. Levi gave no response. 

Levi stood patiently beside the head of his horse, waiting for Eren to make a decision on what he was going to do. 

After nearly a full minute of Eren fiddling with his hands and attempting to speak, he huffed and turned on his heel. Levi may have been one of the hottest males Eren had ever laid eyes on, but he was turning out to be a major asshole. His body had definitely calmed down at this point. His general attitude was a major turn off.

"Fine, just follow me." He snapped in frustration. 

"Kid, keep the attitude in check." 

Eren's anger flared and he clenched his fist. Holy shit, who shoved a crop up his ass?

He quickened his pace, hoping it would leave Levi to struggle to keep up. Much to his disappointment, the shorter man seemed to have no problem in lengthening his strides. 

Any hope for conversation was lost between Levi's dick attitude and Eren's anger, and the silence was incredibly uncomfortable.

Luckily, Corporal's stall was at the entrance to the barn, and not all the way in the back. Eren stood by the doors and motioned towards them with his eyes. "There." He tried to match Levi's glare, but his attempt was pitiful in comparison to Levi's. 

"Corporal's not going to go in if you're standing there." 

"If your horse refuses to walk past people, then you're in for a rough time here." Eren didn't get the reaction he was hoping for. Actually, he didn't get any reaction. Levi's expression remained the same as he simply said "Fine." 

With a soft click of his tongue, Levi led Corporal forward. "Ça va, mon cheval noir, ça va. Passer sous silence la gosse de merde." 

Corporal paid no attention to Eren as he stepped confidently forward, and the brunette forced himself to relax as the black beast neared him. Levi refused to look at Eren as he focused his attention entirely on his horse. 

Corporal's ears flicked back and forth, focusing on both Eren and Levi. When Corporal's head was in line with Eren, he froze. 

Levi muttered something under his breath, "Va te faire foutre, Enfoiré."

They kept their focus on the animal as he took his time in deciding what he would do next. Levi's hand tightened on the lead rope as Corporal swung his head around, nostrils flaring. 

"Eren, do not move." Levi watched his horse with uncertainty. Things could go either very good or very bad from here. He prayed they would go good, but had little hope that they would. Corporal was not a horse who cared for others, and it would be a miracle if he showed any affection towards the now frightened boy. 

Eren's whole body was tense, despite his best attempts to relax and calm down. Having such an intimidating horse inspecting you was not a pleasant activity. Especially when the horse's temperament seemed to go hand in hand with his rider's. 

Eren was so focused on holding his breath and staying perfectly still that he almost missed the soft snort that Corporal let out. 

Levi's hand loosened its death grip in shock and relief as his stallion seemed to accept Eren. Corporal didn't do that—he flat out didn't just like people so easily. 

He nudged his head towards Eren, who laughed shakily and reached out a hesitant hand to stroke his velvet nose. 

He looked over to Levi with a silly smile. "I thought he 'didn’t appreciate brats.'" Corporal snorted and pushed at Eren with his head when he took his hand away, nearly knocking the boy over. 

"Corporal, arrête!" Levi sounded irritated. "Just go in the damn stall, cheval de merde." 

Corporal bobbed his head up and down as Levi tried to coax him into his new home. 

Eren dug into his pockets to grab a treat. "Would this help?" Corporal's head turned towards Eren, and he eagerly sniffed at his hand like an oversized puppy. 

"Tch, dumb horse..." Levi begrudgingly accepted the treat from Eren and successfully led Corporal into the stall. Clean water as well as a bit of hay were already waiting, and Corporal was sufficiently occupied as Levi slipped off the halter and exited the stall. 

"So, how'd I do?" Eren asked hopefully. 

"You weren't mauled by a stallion, so I'll let you answer that one on your own." 

Eren showed Levi the hook for the halter and lead, but hesitated. "Wait, what about your tack? Do you need to bring that in?" 

"No, I trust Mike will handle it for me." 

"Mike? You know Mike?" 

"He drove me here, crétin." 

Eren frowned. "What do you keep speaking? French?" 

"You're not nearly as bright as Erwin made you out to be." He sighed, as if disappointed. "I'm from France. We speak French in France." 

"I know that! I just couldn't tell... Wait, you know Erwin, too?" 

"Yes, I know Erwin." 

Eren was confused. "But how? You're from France! And he's from... Washington?" 

"New York." 

"Oh, yeah. New York. I knew that! I was just... Testing to see if you were lying or not!" 

"Kid, just stop. Erwin will wonder if we stopped to take a shit on our way to the office, you're taking so long." 

"I… What? He would not! He'd know we were working with the horse!" 

Levi closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Lord grant him help in dealing with this brat. "It was a joke. Never mind. Just take us wherever we're supposed to go." 

Eren nodded quickly as he double checked that the door was securely latched shut. "It's not too far..."

Eren led Levi out of the barn and across the property, to a small building that was near the caretakers house. Pushing the door open, Eren stepped inside the warmth, glad to be out of the chilly air. 

"Ah, Eren, Levi. How did Corporal settle in?" 

"Better than I'd expect. He didn't try to kill the kid, so I'd say he did okay." Levi spoke with a fondness that Eren wouldn't have expected from him. It was evident that he greatly cared for his horse. "Did Mike bring in my tack?" 

"He did," Erwin answered. "It's in the tack room closest to Corporal's stall. I'm sure Eren can show you when he gives you the tour?" 

"When I what?" Eren exclaimed. "Why me?" 

"Because Erwin and Mike have lessons to teach, and I have paperwork to tend to. Besides, you probably know the place better than I do!" 

Eren glanced sideways at Levi. Oh god, more alone time with him? Please, no. He was short and bitchy, and he was hot. Eren's brain couldn't process it all. Was he supposed to be intimidated, pissed off, or turned on? His body seemed to decide that all were good ideas. "Fine." He drew out the last syllable in a half whine, earning a disapproving look from Pixis and an eye roll from Levi. 

"Enough standing around, why don't we all sit?" Pixis motioned to the couches that occupied the loft area of the small building. They all sat awkwardly and waited for Pixis to speak again. 

With a smile, he started "Well, seeing as we all know each other well enough, I don't believe introductions are necessary." 

Eren put his hand in the air like a child in school. When Pixis paused, he spoke. "I uh, I don't actually know Levi." 

Pixis chuckled. "I suppose you don't. Eren, this is Levi Ackerman. Originally an eventer from France, but you can very obviously see that he's here with us now. Levi, this is Eren Jaeger." 

Ackerman... Eren had heard that name before. "Wait…Ackerman…" Eren frowned. "Oh my god! Levi Ackerman!" He half-shouted. "Sorry!” He brought his voice down when his company jumped. “Sorry, but you're Levi." 

The man looked utterly unimpressed. 

"Which means… Oh my god. Oh, my god." Eren practically gasped. "That's Lance Corporal! Corporal, that's your horse!" 

Levi was watching him with a bored expression. "Holy shit..." Eren breathed. "You're... Holy shit." 

"Wow, kid. I'm glad you finally figured that one out. Yes, I'm Levi. Yes, that is Lance Corporal. No, we will not be signing any autographs." 

"I wasn't going to ask!" 

"Sure you weren't." 

"I wasn't, I swear! I just, wow! I can't believe you're training here!" 

"Tch." Levi crossed his arms and leaned back on the couch without another word. 

"Sorry, sir!" Levi raised an eyebrow at Eren's words. "Sir, eh? Hm." 

"Um, yeah, I guess..." Eren looked to Erwin for help, but the man offered none. "So you guys do all know each other?" 

Erwin was the first to answer. "Yes, Levi and I competed on the circuit before I had to quit. We were good friends, though it appears we've grown apart since then." He smiled at Levi, and earned a glare in return. 

"I was their trainer," Pixis spoke up. "I'm the one who got them to the top, so I was thrilled to hear Levi was interested in reuniting with all of us." 

"All of you? There's more?" 

"There was a whole group of us." Erwin reminisced. "Hanji, Mike, Gunther, Erd, Petra, Aururo... Not everyone was a rider. Mike, Gunther, Erd, and Petra were. Aururo was our favourite groom, and Hanji was the vet. We were called 'Escouade Levi,' or 'Squad Levi,' if I remember correctly." 

"You remember correctly, but your pronunciation is shit, old man." Levi scoffed. 

Erwin waved his hand. "The point is, all of Squad Levi is back together now, and I have a feeling it's going to lead to great things." 

"Don't get your hopes up. We perform as individuals. Just because we occasionally hung out together doesn't mean we should constantly be associated. Hell, Erwin, we were the only ones who did eventing. And you don't compete anymore." 

"True, but they looked up to you. It was called Squad Levi for a reason." 

Eren felt awkward, like he shouldn't be present for this conversation. This was their past, and it didn't involve him. Still, he couldn’t stop himself from asking, "Why was it called Squad Levi?" 

Pixis was the one to answer his question. Levi huffed as he glared at Erwin, who met his eyes with an unwavering gaze. "The group of them became sort of friends, and tended to flock together in their free time. The media caught on to this, and found it interesting enough to give a name to. Levi's personality isn't the warmest, as you can tell." The short man flicked his eyes to Pixis in irritation. He continued as if he didn't even notice. "So, the fact that he would be hanging around anyone at all was astonishing to them. That, in addition to him being the most successful rider, earned them the 'Squad Levi' title. It was good for publicity, so we decided to let it happen, and not fight it." 

"Oh, that's cool, I guess." Eren wasn't exactly sure how to react. 

There was a brief moment of silence, which was broken by Erwin as he looked at the clock. "Shit, I'd better get going. Marco requested a private lesson with me today before afternoon lessons. Sorry to leave so abruptly, but I don’t want to waste any training time. Levi, I'll see you later." 

The two men nodded at each other as Erwin stood up and left. 

"Well, gentleman, this meeting appears to have lasted much longer than I had planned, so I don't have time to elaborate as much as I had intended to." Pixis picked up a few papers from the coffee table. "Eren, this is Corporal's care schedule. Not too different from the usual, but of course, it is specialised due to the fact that he's a stallion, as well as to his owner’s specifications. Read over it, and ask Levi if you have any questions." 

Levi was handed a few papers as well. "Levi, this is just about everything you need to know about the place. I've also got a few papers you need to sign back in my office if you don’t mind staying a bit longer, but those you have there include your training schedule for the week, and other important information. Ask Eren if you have any questions." 

He paused to think. "I do believe that's all. Eren, if you'd like to go wait by the barn, I won't keep Levi long. There’s just a few things we need to finish up with." 

"Yes, sir! I'll wait in the indoor arena; the big building. The door’s on the side, and it’s kind of impossible to miss." 

“I know which one it is.”

“O-oh, okay. I’ll be waiting just inside the door. Be careful when you enter, don’t let the door slam.”

“This isn’t my first rodeo, kid. I know my way around a barn.”

“Sorry! I’m just making sure… I’ll see you soon?”

“Obviously. You’re giving me a damn tour.”

Eren chuckled nervously and rubbed at the back of his neck. “Right, I’ll go, then.” With flaming cheeks, he shut the door tightly behind him and hunched his shoulders against the wind that had picked up. The sun was out, but it offered little warmth to combat the wind. 

As he walked to the arena by himself, Eren didn't know what to think. His brain was physically unable to comprehend the situation. A world class eventer was now training at Freedom Equestrian Centre. He was short and irritable, but undeniably attractive. Eren couldn't figure him out, and the mixed signals were making his head spin. 

Damn, he really needed to talk to Armin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: I have a feeling that there will be a few inaccuracies in this fanfic, and I apologise for that. The barn is going to be a lot more relaxed than a typical show barn, and I'm going to bend the traditional rules a bit. I feel that it will make the story more interesting!
> 
> Art:  
> There is art for this chapter! [Corporal](http://www.rymdhingst.tumblr.com/post/108466041932/show-name-lance-corporal-barn-name-corporal-age) was drawn by the lovely Sam. 
> 
> Glossary:  
> "...more than a few horses taller than him."- Horses are measured at the withers, so their height is considered however tall they are at the withers. This means that Corporal (who is 16.1 HH) is 163 cm at the withers, making him 3 cm taller than Levi.  
> Butt Bar- The bar or gate that goes behind a horse's rear when in a trailer to prevent them from backing up into another horse/the trailer doors. It basically keeps them in the trailer "stall"  
> Circuit- Basically the show world. Kind of like a division, but kind of not. All you need to know is that I use circuit to refer to the show world.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren shows Levi around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hej! 
> 
> Ahh I'm so surprised at the number of people who've read this so far. I hope you all are enjoying it :D
> 
> I'm excited to get the introductions over with and move on with the plot. Things should start moving in the next chapter or two! 
> 
> Vocabulary for this chapter is posted in the end notes, so please refer to that if you're unsure of the meaning of any horse terms. If I forgot any, please let me know! 
> 
> I apologise for any mistakes in spelling, grammar, or punctuation. 
> 
> My Tumblr is [tinycaptainlevi](http://www.tinycaptainlevi.tumblr.com), and the Tumblr just for this fic is [rymdhingst](http://www.rymdhingst.tumblr.com)!

Eren was watching Marco run a practice course when Levi returned. The monotone voice made him jump when it sounded in his ear. "He's not bad, but he needs to get his legs under him." Levi studied the horse and rider as they nicked a pole. "His horse hesitates right before the jump, that's why he keeps clipping the poles.

Marcos horse, a 16 HH fleabitten grey Mecklenburger gelding named Freckle, launched over the jump much higher than necessary, nearly unseating Marco.

"Circle him around, Marco. Ask him to do it again." Erwin called out. "You're in control, let him know that it's safe to go over. Push him forward with your seat, don't let him hesitate again."

"Okay!" Marco led Freckle across the arena and lined him up with the simple crossrail. Eren could see Marcos mouth moving as he spoke encouragements. Freckle had one ear aimed at Marco, and the other ahead of him.

"He still doesn't have his legs under him. They're too far back." Levi frowned. "Has Erwin corrected him for that?"

"Um, I don't think so?" Marco's legs looked fine to Eren, and he was sure that Levi was imagining things.

As if he could read Eren's mind, Levi pointed at Marco as Freckle gathered himself in preparation to jump. "Watch when he lands. His leg slips back. It's slight, but it's there. Look carefully, and you'll see that his heel isn't perfectly in line."

Sure enough, as Marco cantered away from the jump with a pleased grin, Eren noticed that his foot had slipped backwards. He brought it back forward, but it wasn't enough—his heel was still slightly behind the rest of his body.

"Good, Marco! Finish the course, and then we can change things up. I'll be right back."

Marco aimed Freckle towards the next jump as Erwin walked towards Eren and Levi with a smile. Pushing open the door, he stood next to the two boys to watch Marco. "Nice to see you again so soon, Levi! How's the tour going?"

"We haven't started yet. All I've seen is your failure to correct your rider." He snapped irritably. Erwin only blinked at the shorter man, who sighed and rolled his eyes.

"His legs, Eyebrows. They're too far back, and he pitches slightly when he jumps. It's throwing his horse off, and that's why he hesitates. When he lands, his leg slips further back, and he fixes it, but not enough. It's an easy fix, and I'm surprised you didn't notice it. Fix his leg, and you'll notice a difference."

Erwin raised one eyebrow. "Wow, short stack. I'll admit, I didn't even notice. But now that you point it out," He looked back into the arena. "I see exactly what you mean."

"I've told you before, I'm never wrong."

"Don't let your head get too big, you might topple over." Erwin smirked.

"Shut your fucking face, shitdick."

Eren was taken aback by the swearing, but Erwin was entirely unaffected. "Well, you two are welcome to stay and watch, but I've got to finish up here. I'll meet up with you when I'm finished, if you don't mind."

"Sure! Tell Marco that Freckle's looking good today."

"I will. See you later!"

Erwin re-entered the arena and called Marco into the middle while Eren turned to face Levi. "Okay, well, this is the main indoor arena, obviously. It's pretty standard, nothing you'd be unfamiliar with. It's the biggest building on the property, which is no surprise. We came in through the main door, which I guess isn't technically the main one. I mean, it was intended to be when this was built, but not many people actually use it, so its sort of an unused door. Most of us enter through the observatory, or use that door over there by the big one." He pointed at each door in turn; making sure Levi was paying attention.

"And uh, I guess that's it for in here. We'll go out to the outdoor arena and cross country course, I guess. It's supposed to get colder this afternoon, so we should get it out of the way."

Levi nodded and let Eren lead the way. They walked along the length of the arena, and exited through the observatory room. Eren added commentary on various things as they travelled across the property.

“Here’s the outdoor arena, it’s always open unless there’s a lesson going on. And even then, you can usually commandeer part of it if you ask nicely.” Someone was currently practicing in the arena, despite the occasional gusts of wind. The bay horse was performing a lively passage, but was brought down to a walk as she neared the spectators.

“Eren, do you need something?” Ymir asked in annoyance. “I’m not getting kicked out of the arena for some newbie, so don’t even ask.” She looked Levi up and down. “I’m assuming you’re the new guy, Levi, right? Regardless, I’ve got the arena to myself for today and don’t plan to give it up.”

Levi eyed her skeptically. “And who are you?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know? I’m Ymir, and this is Historical.” She patted the Andalusian’s neck. “She was already distracted by the wind, and you two didn’t help, so I would appreciate if you would leave us to practice.” She called over her shoulder as she trotted back to the centre.

“Sorry, Ymir can be a little rough at times. She trains in Dressage, so you’ll have to train with her occasionally, but she’s not bad once you’re both in the arena. Not that I would necessarily know firsthand, because I don’t ride with everyone else. It’s just one of the things I’ve observed!” Why had he said that last bit? It wasn’t remotely necessary, and now he just felt like a fool.

Trying to ignore how foolish he felt, Eren continued. “Okay, cross country is way back there, by those flags. We’ve got a full course, a few of the obstacles are moveable, and you can change them up as you feel necessary. Just make sure you ask for permission if its a major change, and mark them in the log and on the map so that others are aware of the change. It’s a good idea to check the map before each time you run the course, just in case it’s changed. It goes into the trees a bit, so there are usually plenty of natural obstacles in there if you’re up for it. You can walk it whenever you’d like, but it’s very large so I figure we can just continue on the tour for now.”

Levi grunted and followed Eren towards the pastures. It seemed like the man only talked when others were around, because all Eren got in way of responses were grunts and vague humming sounds. “We’ve got an indoor arena specialised for jumping, and another for dressage, which are just back here by the round pens. They’re not generally used apart from lessons and shows, because we like to keep them nice. There’re no official rules against it, but it’s sort of an unspoken agreement that no one uses it for practice. I guess you could, but it just doesn’t happen here. It’s been that way since before I’ve arrived, and no one really questions it. I think you’re on the schedule for tomorrow, so you can see them then. Like the main indoor arena, there’s nothing special about them that you wouldn’t have already encountered.”

The two of them continued on their way. Eren led Levi through the round pens, pastures, warmup rings, and even passed by the caretaker’s house. Finally, they arrived back at the barn. “You already know this is the barn, but you’ve gotta know where your tack and food are. You’re on the male side, with the other stallions and geldings, which is Barn A, otherwise known as simply ‘A.’ Barn B, known as ‘B’ is for the mares, obviously. Each has sixteen stalls and two tack rooms. Wash racks and additional crossties are in a building attached to each barn, but there’s four sets of crossties in the aisles, which you can use as you please.” Eren paused as he saw Erwin walking up.

“Oh good, I found you. Now can I ask how the tour’s going?”

“This place is fucking huge. Bigger than where I trained before. Why do you need so many damn arenas?”

Erwin smiled gently. “Pixis had the money and the means, so he went for it. You’ll get used to the place soon enough. It’s not so bad once you know your way around. Corporal will love it here, too. Eren, have you shown him to his tack room yet?”

“No, sir. I was just about to, though. It’s just over here.” Eren walked down the long aisle, saying hello to the horses as he passed. “Like I said, there’s two tack rooms. You’re in A, so the rooms are referred to as A1 and A2. You’re in A2, which is lucky. It’s the least used tack room, so it’s fairly empty. This is mostly the stallion’s tack room, and since there’s only two others besides you, there’s plenty of room. Last I checked, Erwin was storing a few of his mare’s old saddles in here.”

Levi wandered across the aisle to greet Corporal while Eren pushed open the tack room door and switched on the light. “Ah, they are still in here!” Eren looked around and his eyes landed on Levi’s tack. The saddles were covered by protective bags, but the brands displayed on the bags showed that they were not your average schooling saddle. The bridles hung on the hooks next to the saddles looked newly polished, and the bits were perfectly clean. Hell, Eren couldn’t even see a single hair on the various blankets and pads hung on the specialised bars.

“Jesus…”

Erwin laughed behind Eren. “He likes to keep his things clean. I’m still not sure how he manages.”

“I manage because I don’t ever fall behind in cleaning. It doesn’t take much to keep your things in good condition, not that you would know. Do you know how many times I had to clean your saddles for you? Too many times, Erwin. Too many times.” Levi had entered the tack room and was staring up at Erwin. “Your saddle isn’t even covered!”

“You claim to be some sort of cleaning god, but it looks like you missed a spot last time.” Erwin motioned to the saddle, which had a light stain on the dark leather. Levi’s cheeks turned red, and Erwin laughed. Actually, less of a laugh and more of a hearty cackle, if such a thing could be possible.

Cold grey eyes sent daggers at Erwin, who continued to laugh until he noticed Levi’s stare. “What? It wasn’t my fault entirely!”

Eren was missing something important, because their conversation seemed to hold much more than what it looked like on the surface. With the look Levi was giving Erwin, he was positive there was a hidden meaning in Erwin’s jab at Levi’s cleaning skills.

Levi continued to stare at Erwin until his laughter died down and stopped. The silence that followed was broken by a muttered “Fuck you” from Levi.

“Go on, Shorty. Finish your tour so you can go get some rest. You’re more irritable than usual.”

“Fine, old man. Show me the damn feed room.”

“I’ll leave that to Eren, actually. I’ve got a group lesson for the new riders in ten minutes. Levi, you’re welcome to stay and watch. Mike can take you home whenever. However, I’ve made it clear to him that he must take you back before the lesson is over, understand?”

“You know, Erwin, he sure does talk about you an awful lot. You’re all he talked about on the way here. Erwin this, Erwin that… I was starting to lose all interest in seeing you again, honestly. I’m not sure why you don’t ask him out already.”

“Ask him out? But Erwin’s straight!” Eren blurted out before his eyes widened in the realisation that he had just said that out loud.

Levi snorted. “Erwin? Good one, kid.”

Eren looked up at Erwin cautiously. He had busied himself with closing the tack room door and staring intently at the horse in the nearest stall with a slight blush on his cheeks.

“Sorry, sir!” Eren squeaked. “I didn’t mean it that way!”

Erwin turned around and smiled gently at the flustered boy. “It’s alright, Eren. I--, ah, nevermind. Good luck on the rest of the tour.” He hurried away with a soft smile.

“Hm, bye. Kid, let’s finish this up.”

“Yes, sir! We’ve only got the feed and hay left.”

Eren showed Levi where the feed was, explaining that it would typically be the job of Eren and the others to feed, and not something Levi would need to worry about except on special occasions.

Eren stood awkwardly outside the feed room, rubbing the back of his neck. “That’s the basics of everything, I guess. If you have any questions, most people here are happy to help. I’m a bit late for lunch, so I’d better get started on that. Will you be here tomorrow?”

“Mm, I’ve got training with Erwin at seven am, I don’t assume you’ll be here for that."

“Oh, no, sir! I get here around 5:30 most days to help with breakfast and morning chores. I’ll definitely be here.”

“Great. I’ll see you around then.”

Levi left Eren alone to start on the horse’s lunch. He was a little late, but figured it would be fine. To his surprise, Eren found that the horses had already been fed their hay. It didn’t require much contact with the horses, so Krista must’ve done it for him.

However when he looked into the stalls, the feed bins were in place, though they were empty. Does that mean… Krista fed everyone? That would require her actually going into each stall with the horses, which he hadn’t thought her capable. He’d have to ask her if he saw her late today. She usually left right after lunch, so she could’ve been home already.

Eren decided to take his lunch break while watching the lesson. The new riders weren’t beginners—in fact they were far from it. They were only beginners to the competitive show world, meaning they had only recently been accepted into a program. The entire group consisted of Jean Kirschtein, Marco Bodt, Sasha Braus, Connie Springer and Thomas Wagner.

They all rode in different disciplines, but today appeared to be a jumping day. Everyone except Connie was present, and Eren settled in a chair in the observatory room to watch while he ate.

The rest of the day passed normally, and without another sign of Levi. Eren figured he’d gone home after the tour was finished, unless he’d decided to poke around for a bit longer.

“Oi, Jaeger!”

Eren turned at the sound of his name and nearly groaned when he saw the two toned blonde walking towards him.

“What do you want, horseface?”

“Someone gave Dev too much hay. She doesn’t eat that much!” Dev was Jean’s 16 HH buckskin Swedish Warmblood mare. Eren wasn’t sure if it was just him, but he found their resemblance in looks to be rather amusing. Same horse face, same hair. It was destined to be.

“It wasn’t me! Someone else did the feeding today, and I’m pretty sure it was Krista. You can take that up with her and face Ymir’s wrath. It won’t be my fault if you end up even uglier than you already are once she finds out you yelled at her girlfriend to the point of tears. Besides, an extra half flake of hay isn’t going to make your horse fat! She has to lug your fat ass around, so she gets plenty of exercise!”

Jean grew visibly angry. “Fuck you, Jaeger.”

“My ass is too good for your dick, Kirschtein.”

Jean’s mouth flopped as he tried to come up with a response. Apparently thinking of nothing, he flipped the bird and stormed away.

Eren smirked, pleased that he had won that round.

Giving himself a mental pat on the back, Eren walked to the observatory room to gather his things. It was past seven now, and the arena was empty—lights shut off.

Eren shivered as he slung his bag over his shoulder and waved goodbye to Pixis on his way out of the arena. He’d figured that a sweatshirt would be enough for the day, but he had been so wrong in that decision. He trekked out to his car with phone in hand, checking everything he’d missed during the day. His eyes scanned over the texts from Armin and Mikasa as he opened the car door and climbed into the driver’s seat. He didn’t respond to any of the texts until the heat was on full blast, providing warmth to his now nearly frozen hands.

A quick check of the weather app revealed that it was already down to 34 degrees. It was that odd time of year, where the weather was mostly warm apart from that one day every week that dropped below freezing temperatures and had you convinced that winter was coming.

Putting his phone into a cupholder and the car into reverse, Eren backed out of his spot and started down the long driveway. The music on the radio switched to commercials, and Eren jabbed at the preset stations until he found one he was pleased with.

Stopping at the end of the driveway, Eren let out a prolonged groan as he was forced to roll down his window in order to push the button that opened the automatic gate. “Too cold for this today…” He groaned as the gate swung open slowly, allowing him to exit.

In the silent drive back to the apartment he shared with Mikasa, Eren forced himself to continue to repress the thoughts he’d been avoiding all day. No, not yet. He would figure this out with Armin’s help. The boy didn’t seem like the type, but he always knew exactly what to do when it came to problems with Eren’s love life.

Wait—love life? Since when had he thought of it as something like that? No, no. Stop, Eren. He thought to himself as he turned up the volume on the radio even further. Levi was an asshole, and there was no way Eren would be getting involved with him past the rider-groom relationship. He would talk to Armin, and Armin would set him straight. This would not become a love life issue. This would simply be a life issue.

Eren managed to distract himself from all thoughts of Levi long enough to make it into his room. This couldn’t wait any longer; he needed to call Armin and hope the little blonde picked up before Eren went insane.

 But of course, things couldn’t be that easy, not for Eren Jaeger.

 “Eren, you didn’t even say ‘hello.’” Mikasa chided from his doorway. “Bad day?”

“Not exactly, but I don’t want to talk about it right now. 

“Eren, were you hurt? Did Jean say something?” Concern and anger filled her voice. She wasn’t a fan of Eren working with the horses, but it earned him a fair amount of money and he’d promised to be smart and stay safe, and she had been pleased enough to stop pestering him to quit

“Mikasa, I’m fine. I just need to talk to Armin, and then I’ll make some food. I forgot to bring dinner today, and I’m starving. Um, could you maybe make some pasta? I really want some pasta, but I can do it if you’d like.”

“No, you’d burn the damn apartment down. Just talk to Armin, and I’ll call you when it’s done.”

“Thanks, Mikasa. I appreciate it.” Eren winked and clicked his tongue, which earned him a sigh and an eye roll in response. “Idiot.”

Once he was positive she was out of earshot, Eren pulled up Armin’s contact and hit the call button. It seemed to ring forever, and Eren almost hung up and tried again before Armin’s voice appeared on the other side. “’Lo?” He sounded like he’d just woken up, shit.

“Hey, Arm. You picked one hell of a day to miss. I have a ton to tell you, so get comfortable."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art:  
> Art for this chapter was done by Sam (the_artist_friend) She's done a fabulous drawing of Marco's horse, [Freckle](http://www.rymdhingst.tumblr.com/post/108854258877/show-name-that-freckled-joy-barn-name-freckle). Please show her support by liking the photo!  
> Glossary:  
> "Nicked a pole"- When you hit the rail/pole of a jump, but it doesn't fall  
> "Push forward with your seat"- Pushing your pelvis forward/down into the saddle to encourage the horse to go forwards  
> Bits- the metal part attached to a bridle that is put into the horse's mouth  
> Buckskin- [xx](http://cache.desktopnexus.com/thumbnails/1416409-bigthumbnail.jpg)  
> Crossrail- a very basic jump [xx](http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2014/069/5/2/chestnut_quarter_horse_jumping_crossrail_by_horsestockphotos-d51kbbc.jpg)  
> Fleabitten Grey- [xx](http://www.horse-genetics.com/images/flea-bitten.jpg)  
> Observatory- A room in an arena that has a large window/one way mirror that allows people to watch into an arena without being in the arena/being disruptive. Essentially a viewing room.  
> Passage- [xx](http://www.dressage-academy.com/schooling-tips/passage.php)  
> Round pens- round arena like areas that are used to warm up/exercise a horse. [xx](http://www.fcpbuildings.com/wp-content/uploads/corrals-fancy-04-round-pen.jpg)  
> Wash racks- A stall that is used to groom, tack up, and bathe a horse in


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armin and Eren finally talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, hej there. Sorry this chapter took so much longer than the others! Things got pretty busy, and I just din't have motivation or time to write. But, I got this chapter done and that's all that matters, right? 
> 
> And yayyy Armin! I'm really pleased he got so much time in this chapter, because I just really love that little coconut. 
> 
> My tumblr is [tinycaptainlevi](http://www.tinycaptainlevi.tumblr.com)and the tumblr for this fic is [rymdhingst](http://www.rymdhingst.tumblr.com). Terms are in the end notes, as usual. Let me know if there's anything I forgot to define. :D
> 
> I apologise for any mistakes I missed, its 2 am and I'm tired.
> 
> Enjoy!

“Eren? Wha-”  
  
“Sh, no questions, just listen. I’ve only got until Mikasa’s done making pasta.”

“Okay…” Armin sounded hesitant, but he was definitely more awake. “What happened?”

“Oh my god I don’t have the time to explain it all. There’s a new guy at the barn and he is hot as hell. Imagine the most attractive person you can, and then multiply that by ten.” Eren laid back on the bed and groaned as images of Levi flashed through his head. “Holy fuck, Armin. He is so hot.”

“Um-” Armin’s voice sounded quietly through the speaker, but Eren spoke over him. “But he’s also a _total_ asshole. He cusses more than a sailor--more than me! It kinda turned me off once he actually started talking, but shit no. He’s so hot I can’t handle this. I think he has that short man’s syndrome? The one where short people are always angry because of their height? He’s so short, it’s laughable. His horse is taller than him by an inch, too. And his _horse_ Armin! He’s gorgeous. I don’t remember if he mentioned the breed, but he’s just beautiful. Definitely some sort of warmblood, one of the European ones. He’s black and I swear his temperament matches Levi’s.”

“Levi?” Armin had been silently letting Eren rant, but spoke up when he threw in the new bit of information.

“Oh, Levi, yeah. That’s the riders name. Short name for a short guy.” Armin nodded on the other end of the line, forgetting that Eren wasn’t able to see him.

“I haven’t seen him ride in person yet, but I can’t wait to.” Eren grew giddy with excitement as he prepared to announce the best part. “It’s Levi Ackerman, Arm! The rider who won that big show three years ago! Levi and Lance Corporal.” Eren was trying not to squeal like a teenage girl. “They’re here, all the way from France. I had completely forgotten what he looked like, but once Pixis said his name… I remembered exactly who he was. God, he was an amazing rider! I didn’t understand why he would come here, but apparently he knows everyone else at the barn. Erwin, Mike, Hanji… all the old people. They were called uh… Squad Levi I think? Armin, Squad Levi is at our barn! I didn’t even know that was a thing until today, but can you believe it?” Eren fought to keep his voice down and not start screaming at Armin.

“Eren, you’re all over the place. First you’re talking about how hot this rider is, then you’re saying how much of an asshole he is, and now you’re screaming about how excited you are for him to be here?”  
  
“What? Yes! I mean, no! Wait, what?” Eren was horribly confused now. “He’s hot, he’s an amazing rider, but he’s such an ass! I think that’s what I’m saying. Maybe.”

“Alright…” Armin was no less confused, but he figured it was best to just let Eren continue talking. “Wait… Levi Ackerman, right?”  
  
“Hm? Yeah, him. Why?”

“Isn’t he…” There was sounds of shuffling as Armin moved to his computer and shook the mouse to wake it up. “Hold on.”  
  
“M’kay.” Eren was staring up at his ceiling, trying to figure out exactly what he had been talking to Armin about. Thinking back, none of it made any sense to him. His little rant made about as much sense as the thoughts in his head had. They jumped all over the place, and there was next to no logical order to them.

“Levi Ackerman… If I remember correctly, he’s the one who… Ah! Yes! Eren, Levi’s the rider that retired 2 years ago after his supposed ‘team’ moved on. Do you remember that? Big shot rider, with a team that wasn’t actually a team. ‘Escouade Levi,’ which is French for ‘Squad Levi.’ There was an accident, when I’m assuming was the accident that caused Erwin and Folly to retire, which resulted in Mike following, and the rest of Escouade Levi disbanding as well. The riders all went back to America, except for Levi, who was a French citizen… He announced his retirement from competitive riding, and there was hardly any news on him since.”

Eren sat straight up. “What? I don’t remember this!”  
  
“Really, Eren?” Armin sighed. “Search his name on Google and check the news section. There’s a ton of stories on this.”

“I’ll do it after dinner, I don’t have time right now. Did he really retire? He didn’t look like he just came back from a two year break… He still has Corporal, and they both looked to be in great shape.”

“Maybe he was training on the side? Secretly? He said he was retiring from competitive riding, but not riding altogether.”

“I don’t know… Great, now I have more to think about. I’ve gotta go, Mikasa’s calling me. I’ll call you back after I eat?”

“Sure, if I don’t fall back asleep.”

“I’ll keep calling until you wake back up, don’t worry.”

“Of course you will.”

* * *

 

Eren ate his dinner as quickly as possible, which resulted in Mikasa lecturing him about how he would choke if he didn’t slow down and chew his food like a normal person.  
“Sorry, Mika. I was in the middle of something important, and I want to get back to it.”  
  
“You won’t get back to it if you’ve choked to death.”  
  
“Oh, I know you’d save me.” Mikasa only looked purposefully away from Eren. “Right?” Mikasa only shrugged. “Love you, too.” Eren muttered as he shovelled the last of the pasta into his mouth. He knew she would save him if needed, so he had no reason to worry.  
  
Rushing back to his room, Eren logged into his computer and brought up a Google search of Levi Ackerman before calling Armin back. While he waited for the blonde to answer, Eren scrolled through a few of the results. 

"Hey, Eren. How was the pasta?" 

"Eh, average. But I've got time to talk now." 

"I did some more research while you were away, look at the link I'm sending." 

Eren switched to Skype as it announced the incoming message. "Yeah? What is this one?" 

"A story on what happened, I thought it was pretty interesting." 

"Huh." 

"The first half isn't important, but look about halfway down." 

"Okay." Eren scrolled until he reached the part that he assumed Armin was referring to. 

_Levi Ackerman (24) has announced his early retirement from riding following the accident involving Erwin Smith and his horse Follow the Leader. The eventer (28) fell when his horse spooked at an obnoxious observer, who was removed immediately._

Eren had never heard about Erwin's accident before, he only knew that there had been one and that it had left Erwin unable to ride competitively and even stopped him from riding nearly as often as he used to. Armin sent a few more links as Eren read on, skipping lines to get to the description of the accident. 

 _Smith's right foot remained stuck in the stirrup while his horse charged at the jumps on the cross country course. He managed to free his foot and landed on his back just as his horse spooked at a course flag, and Smith's life was put in danger when a hoof came down on his chest and knocked him back as he was sitting up. Horrified bystanders claim that it was only a back hoof that clipped him as the horse cantered away, and that the horse never placed any weight onto Smith. Despite having worn the required chest guard, Smith obtained substantial chest injuries and a serious concussion in addition to a broken arm and ankle. Medics arrived on the scene shortly after, and Smith was taken to the hospital to be treated. Levi Ackerman and the rest of the riders of Squad Levi withdrew from the competition shortly after.  
_ “Holy shit, I didn’t know his accident was that bad.”

“Neither did I. It didn’t feel right to pry into that, so I never felt comfortable looking it up. Do you think it’s all true?”

“If it matches up in all the articles, then yeah, it has to be. Now it makes sense why he retired; that’s terrible.”

Armin made a noise of agreement as Eren read on.  
 _Ackerman announced his retirement only three months after Smith’s accident, much to the surprise of the public. It was known that the majority of Squad Levi would be returning to America with Smith while Ackerman remained in France, but none predicted that the famed horse and rider would retire so early. With a young horse and young rider, the pair was expected to continue for many more years. Smith’s decision to retire from competition due to age and injury caused the retirement of Ackerman, which led to the announced retirements of Mike Zacharius and Dot Pixis, a fellow rider and trainer of Squad Levi respectively._  
The rest of the article moved on to speculate as to if Squad Levi would ever reform, but Eren lost interest.

“I never knew any of that, damn.” Eren clicked through a few more of the articles Armin had sent, and they spent the rest of the night discussing everything they had just discovered. No one spoke of any of this at the barn, and he understood why. It was a terrible accident, and Eren was surprised that Erwin had decided to keep Folly after that. It hadn’t been her fault, but having a constant reminder of what had happened couldn’t have been easy on him. It had only been two years ago, but their bond appeared to be as strong as it had ever been.  
  
Eren eventually got off the phone with Armin, only to start up a voice call on Skype moments after because it didn’t require him to use his hands. Out of everything that they read, never once did it mention anything about Levi’s prickly personality. They hinted at it, but never outright stated it. Maybe it was something he had only recently acquired, after his retirement? That didn’t seem too likely.  
  
Armin seemed to have read his mind, because the next thing he said was “Eren, are you sure Levi is as rude as you said he was? None of these so much as mention it…”  
  
“No, he’s a dick. I promise you, Armin. He’s a complete dick. A hot as fuck dick. An assbucket. The hottest assbucket you’ve ever laid eyes on. Utterly attractive asshole…”  
  
“Eren, are you alright?” Armin sounded concerned at Eren’s rambling.  
  
“Huh? Yeah, I’m alright. Sorry. He’s just so fucking stupid and my brain can’t handle it.”  
  
“Eren, do you like him?”  
  
“Like him? Oh, god no. No, no, no. He’s such an ass that I could never deal with that. He’s hot, yes. So hot, but I do not like him at all. I’d say quite the opposite. There’s no attraction to him, none.” Eren sounded like he was lying even to himself.  
  
“Alright, if you say so… Hey, it’s getting late and I don’t feel 100% yet, so I’m getting off. Get some sleep, Eren. Don’t worry about this tonight. You’ve met the guy once. Pixis won’t appreciate it if you’re falling asleep on your feet tomorrow.”  
  
“Fine, fine.”  
  
“See you tomorrow.”  
  
“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”  
  
Eren shut off his computer and got ready for bed, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep. Did he like Levi? As in, _like_ like Levi? He’d only just met him, so there was no way. He just had an obsession that would pass over time. Spend enough time with him, and he’d be turned off by the harsh personality in no time, right? Eren was positive the feeling would pass, and things would go back to normal for him.  
Levi being at the barn wouldn’t matter in a few weeks, and he would just become another one of the riders. Maybe Eren would ride alongside him someday, but there would never be anything beyond that. Ever.

* * *

 

The next morning, Eren felt like death. Staying up and worrying over what he could possibly be feeling about Levi had not been a good idea, and he regretted it the moment his alarm went off. The morning passed in a blur, and Eren hardly remembered driving to the barn or even cleaning out the stalls. He did his work while half asleep, not even noticing Armin as he scolded Eren for doing exactly what he had said not to do.  
  
It wasn’t until Levi arrived at 6:45 that Eren started to really wake up. He was in Barn A mucking a stall near Corporal’s when he heard the familiar voice call out irritably, “Oi! Where’s my horse? Why’d you put him out? I said Corporal didn’t like brats.”  
  
Eren’s head shot up and he made eye contact with Armin, who was in a stall across the aisle. Eren hurried to dump the manure and shavings into the bucket before exiting the stall. “He’s in the West pasture, sir! I forgot you were coming this early, and I put him out with the others. I can go get him right now if you’re willing to wait a bit!” Eren’s heart lurched when Levi looked at him. Fuck. “And he liked me, remember? He behaved perfectly.”  
  
“No, I’ll get him myself. I don’t like people touching my horse, especially brats like you.” Levi mumbled something in French as he snatched the halter and leadrope off the hook. When he turned around, he was face to face with a wide eyed Armin, who squeaked and backed away. “I’m sorry, sir! I-I was checking to see if Eren had done the stall y-yet!” Armin stammered.

“Who’s the new kid?” Levi looked to Eren for an explanation, and he felt a little flutter in his chest at being acknowledged. _Stop that_ , he reminded himself.  
  
“This is Armin Arlert, one of the other stable hands. I don’t know if I mentioned it yesterday, but there’s me, Armin, and a small blonde girl named Krista.” Eren looked over at Armin, who was still paralysed with blue eyes wide with shock. “I’m so sorry!” He squeaked out again. “I didn’t mean to invade your space!”  
  
“Relax, and stop apologising.” Levi looked bored, like he had yesterday, and Eren was grateful that he didn’t have any indication that Levi was mad at or upset with Armin.  
  
“Sorry!” Armin slapped a hand over his mouth as his cheeks were dusted with pink. “I’ll-I-I’m gonna finish this stall!” He announced before turning away from Levi’s gaze and hurrying back into a stall to finish up.  
  
“Is he alright?” Levi asked, seeming genuinely concerned. Armin was still in earshot, so Eren only shrugged. Armin’s behaviour was unusual, and he wasn’t sure what had just happened. “The mountains are to the West, so Corporal should be in the pasture in that direction. If you need help or get lost, I’ll still be in here.”

“I don’t get lost, kid.”  
  
“Mhm, okay.” Eren waved his hand in dismissal, sure that he was bound to get lost on the property at least once. Levi walked off to fetch his horse, and Eren headed towards the stall Armin was working in. “Arm, are you alright? What just happened?”  
  
“He looks nothing like the pictures I saw!” He whispered. “He’s so much more… Intimidating! Did you see his eyes, Eren? I thought he was going to murder me! I didn’t mean to get so close, it just sort of happened and I don’t know why!” Armin was whisper-shouting now, furiously scooping horse shit into the bucket.  
  
“I thought he was going to yell at me! He looked so disappointed in me, and I’d only just met him! I’ve made a terrible impression, haven’t I? He’s going to hate me. Oh, god. I made a famous eventer hate me already!”  
  
“Armin, calm down! He doesn’t hate you; I promise that’s what his face looked like all of yesterday! I told you he was an ass, didn’t I?” Armin didn’t respond. “Well, I guess you got off to a rough start…” Armin squeaked, and Eren realised that hadn’t helped. “But, you can still fix it! Erwin said he liked things to be clean, so we’ll just clean Corporal’s stall to perfection!”  
  
“But I’ve already messed up!”  
  
“Doesn’t matter, you’ve got plenty of time to show him how good you are! C’mon, I’ll help you.”  
  
Eren carried the bucket out of the current stall and into Corporal’s, with Armin trailing behind him. They worked in silence, scooping up anything that could be considered remotely dirty in the stall. “I’m sorry, Eren. I don’t know what came over me. I was just so intimidated, and I panicked. He’s a famous rider and the most intimating looking person I’ve ever seen, even if he’s shorter than me! His eyes were so empty and emotionless, I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. And he was hot, you definitely weren’t wrong about that one. You weren’t wrong about anything. He’s nothing like what I had imagined him to be like… He looks taller in photos. And you can’t see his eyes in most of the photos, either. I was just so startled that I made a fool of myself!”  
  
“Aw, Arm. You weren’t that bad!”  
  
“Yes I was!”  
  
“Okay, maybe you were.” Armin groaned. “But I really think that he’s not mad at you, and I don’t think he’d judge just off that.”  
  
“Eren, you’ve known him for one day. There’s no way for you to know that, and you shouldn’t be talking about him as if you were friends with him.”  
  
“I know that! I don’t know, though… I just have a feeling that he’s not going to judge you for any of that. He just doesn’t seem like that kind of guy, you know?”  
  
“No, he seems like that kind of guy to me!”  
  
“Well, I don’t think he is, and I’ve known him longer than you.”  
  
“It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours.”  
  
“So? It hasn’t even been one hour for you!”  
  
“Fine, point taken. But if you’re wrong and I’m never trusted to touch his horse or anything he owns, I’m blaming you.”  
  
“No one’s supposed to touch his horse.” Eren pointed out. “If he got mad at anyone, it’d be me, because I touched the precious Corporal.”

Hooves were approaching outside, and Eren hushed Armin as Levi and Corporal strode into the barn. “Oi, what are you shits doing in there?” His head turned towards them when Eren tripped over the muck bucket, nearly knocking it over.  
  
“We’re mucking it out, that’s our job. We’re kind of paid to do it to all the stalls, so I figured it’d be best to not skip this one.”

“You shits think you could do it up to my standards?” He asked as he hooked the crossties to Corporal’s halter. The stallion bobbed his head up and down and pawed at the ground while Levi went into the tack room to get the grooming equipment. On his way back, he peeked into the stall, and raised one perfect eyebrow. “Hm, could be worse.” He continued to the side of his horse and worked on removing the blanket. “I can clean it myself next time.”

“Sir, you pay to board here, which means you pay us to do the work for you. We can take care of it just fine, I assure you.” Armin spoke up. “We always work our hardest, so there’s no need to worry!”  
  
“Just because I pay doesn’t mean it’s required that I depend on stable hands and grooms to do all of my work for me.” Levi scoffed. “I’m perfectly capable of caring for a horse on my own.”  
  
Armin’s mouth opened and closed as his eyes grew wide and he tried to answer.  
  
“Kid, don’t worry about it. Your work is fine, but I prefer to do things for myself.” Levi’s voice softened, surprising Eren.  
  
Armin seemed to calm slightly, and they worked quickly to finish the stall as Levi groomed and tacked up Corporal, continuously speaking in the same soft tone he always used around his horse. Eren found it oddly soothing as he worked, even though he understood none of it. The way that Levi acted around his horse was completely different from how he spoke to people, and it was oddly… charming. His personality completely changed, and it was utterly intriguing.  
  
Levi grunted slightly as he stretched to place the jump saddle onto Corporal’s back, and Eren almost went weak in the knees at the cuteness of the action. He had no shame in flat out staring while Levi connected the martingale and fastened the flash strap on the bridle. Levi tugged on his gloves and strapped on his helmet before gathering Corporal’s reins and removing the halter from around his neck.  “Are you two really just going to stand there? Don’t you have more work to do or something? And Eren,” Eren’s head shot up at his name, turquoise eyes wide. “Why does it seem like Armin is doing all the work?”

“I-I got distracted!”  
  
“By?”  
  
“I was admiring you-your tack?” Eren managed to save himself just in time, but the narrowing of Levi’s eyes proved that he knew exactly what Eren was going to say. “The blanket is uh, a really nice colour?” Eren offered lamely, and he could almost hear Armin groaning behind him.

“You’re only going to make things worse, kid, so just stop.”  
  
Eren’s face flamed red and he nervously poked at the shavings with his muck rake. “Sorry, sir.”  
  
“Tch, you’ve been in that stall long enough. Finish it up already. I’ve got a lesson to go to, and if you finish up your work, you might just be able to see me ride.” He clicked his tongue to get Corporal to walk on and left the barn without another word.  
  
A chance to see Levi ride? Oh, fuck yes.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art:  
> Thank you Sam for drawing [Folly](http://rymdhingst.tumblr.com/post/109657913877)! Please support the artist by liking the post on tumblr :3  
> Glossary:  
> Flash Strap- A strap on the bridle used to keep a horse's mouth shut, essentially. Used on Corporal because he's a fairly high strung stallion. (strap closest to the mouth) [xx](http://www.guidetovirtue.com/sites/default/files/flashattachment.jpg)  
> Martingale- A piece of equipment used to keep a horse's head down. Again, Corporal has one because he's a stallion. (The part on the horse's chest) [xx](http://www.upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Baltic_Cup_Shannon_Mejnert_Sandy1.jpg)
> 
> Notes: This chapter felt a little awkward to me, but we must move on with the plot!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren watches Levi ride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hallå!  
> Yes, this chapter does have more horses and riding in it, finally.
> 
> I've been thinking about having a set day to update, but I haven't decided what day that'll be on yet. I'm going to wait until I have a "buffer" of chapters so in case I don't have time to write one week, I can still post something! Because of that, the next update or two might be kind of slow. 
> 
> Anyways, I don't have much to say about this one. I'm fairly happy with it and hope you all enjoy it!
> 
> Vocab is posted in the end notes. Let me know if I forgot any words or phrases. 
> 
> My tumblr is [tinycaptainlevi](http://www.tinycaptainlevi.tumblr.com) and the tumblr for this fic is [rymdhingst](http://www.rymdhingst.tumblr.com). I apologise for any spelling or grammar mistakes, I edited this one really quick in the library today and probably missed a few things. 
> 
> I love everyone's comments, and love to hear what people think so please tell me anything that you want to see happen in the future of this fic.
> 
> Enjoy!

Eren watched with admiring eyes as Levi cantered around the arena. He had been in the observatory room for the last ten minutes, eyes glued to Levi the entire time. It was nearly impossible to describe his riding. He was better than he had ever been on video, and cameras had failed to capture the bond between horse and rider. 

Corporal trusted Levi, and Levi trusted Corporal. It was obvious to even the most inexperienced bystander. Eren had thought their trust was obvious on the ground, but that was nothing compared to what it was in the saddle.

Levi carried a crop in one hand, but it was hardly used. A twitch of the reins, a nudge of the heel—that was all that was needed to direct the horse where he needed to be. Corporal always had one ear aimed back at Levi, constantly listening for signals. Levi’s mouth rarely stopped moving, speaking words that only he and his horse understood. No one else could hear the whispers, and no one else needed to. They were meant purely for the two of them, and Eren respected that.

There was no awkwardness, no tense riding. Every move that the pair made was smooth and calculated. It was the kind of riding that was rare to see, and took years to achieve. The internet had revealed that Corporal was an eight year old Selle Français, so he was still fairly young. Eren had no idea how long Levi had been with the stallion, but in order to form the bond they shared, it had to have been more than just a few years.

If Eren had to guess, he would say that Levi had trained Corporal himself. Likely not entirely, considering the commitment it would’ve required, but he had probably done a majority of the work himself.

All in all, Eren was impressed, and more than just a little jealous. Sure, he interacted daily with horses, but his connection with them was never as good as their connections with their riders. Someday he hoped to get his own horse, but he doubted that day would be coming anytime soon. For now, he had to take what he had, and be grateful for it. He was lucky to have this opportunity. He was lucky to work here, lucky to see horses every day, and lucky to be able to watch such talented riders whenever he pleased.

Corporal and Levi headed straight at a two foot oxer, which was considerably short compared to what Eren knew they could jump.

Corporal gathered himself and launched over the jump in a perfect arch, with front legs tucked neatly. He landed perfectly, and it looked like a small smile appeared on Levi’s face as he cantered towards the next jump. This one was a bit higher, but not by much. It seemed Erwin was starting them off easy, and building it up as they went. Sure enough, as Levi and Corporal cleared the jump, Erwin moved the oxer up a few holes. It was still only at about two and a half feet, but Eren was willing to bet that it would get up to the four foot range and above in no time. Maybe not today, but soon.

The next jump was the highest on the course so far, but also the most simplistic. It was a three foot high vertical, and Eren had no doubt that the pair would make it over easily. Levi clicked his tongue once and gave a slight bump of his heels, encouraging his horse forward. Corporal pushed off the ground, and even Eren could see he had jumped just slightly too early. His front hooves hit the ground, and his back hooves knocked the pole, causing it to fall. Many horses would have at least put an ear back at the sound, but his remained the same—one ahead of him, and one back at Levi.  

Erwin let Levi finish the course before he moved all of the jumps up a notch and appeared to instruct him to do it once more. It seemed that today, they weren’t aiming for speed, but for technique.

Eren was no professional, but he had to admit that Levi had some of the best technique he’d seen. His posture was perfect, and his movements were smooth. He moved his hips with the horse, allowing them to shift freely to accommodate the movement of the creature beneath him. His back was straight, and his heels were down, with toes turned in. Elbows in, hands down, head up; Levi had all of the bases covered. His two-point was stable and strong, and he showed no signs of coming close to losing his balance.

Corporal was as neatly polished as his rider, and an overall stunning horse. His black coat shone even in the lighting of the arena, and his white socks were a perfect white that appeared to be natural, and not at all chalked. The entirety of his mane fell on one side, with no rebel sections deciding to hang on the other side of his neck. His tail was long and smooth, and looked perfectly combed and healthy. He was built nicely, with a strong neck and nice profile. His smooth gaits were envious, and his jumping power was impressive. Muscles ripped under his smooth coat, showing that he was not a creature to be messed with. He was strong, and powerful. Levi was lucky to have a horse like him, and the two of them fit together perfectly.

They finished the course for a second time with no faults, and stopped in the middle to wait for Erwin’s critique. Eren couldn’t hear what they were saying because of the glass, but he could guess that Erwin had approved of the riding, if the smile on his face was anything to go off of.

Levi stood in his stirrups and trotted around the perimeter of the arena while Erwin set up a Liverpool jump under a fairly short oxer. He hardly wavered in his stance, reaching up to adjust his helmet with one hand and holding to the reins with the other.

That was something Eren couldn’t do. Try as he might, he always had to hold on to at least the mane when he stood in his stirrups. His balance was normally fairly good, but standing and trotting never ended well for him. He typically flopped back onto the saddle or pitched forward, which was good for neither him nor the horse he happened to be riding at that time. Levi showed wasn’t losing his balance anytime soon, and Eren’s jealously grew.

He knew he shouldn’t be jealous, after all, Levi was an experienced rider and Eren was just a stable hand. And yet, he couldn’t help but feel the jealously grow, and along with it, his admiration.

A quick look at the clock told Eren he had already wasted over an hour in the room, watching Levi. Armin had understood Eren’s need to watch and promised to take care of his work for a while, for which Eren was eternally grateful.

Over the time he had been there, Eren’s admiration had grown and grown. He wasn’t sure what he thought about Levi as a person, but he definitely knew what he thought about him as a rider. He was talented, and anyone lucky enough to see him in person was surely receiving a once in a lifetime chance. A novice rider, or even someone with no riding experience whatsoever, would be able to look at him and know that he was a professional, that he knew what he was doing. He had the talent, and he had the aura.

He wasn’t overpowering like some riders, but appeared to be rather modest about his skills. He knew he was pretty good, but Eren didn’t think he knew exactly how good he was. His neat appearance showed that he took things seriously, and that he wasn’t here just for shits and giggles. His entire personality was different in the saddle, and Eren decided that was why he hadn’t recognised him at first. Out of the saddle, he was irritable, cranky, and somewhat arrogant. In the saddle he was calm, gentle, and modest. The extreme change left Eren wondering as to who Levi really was.

Which was the mask? Was it the cold man, or the gentle rider? Or were both of them masks, leaving a third side underneath? Eren had no idea, but he wanted to find out. There was no way he could deny it—he looked up to Levi.

The time spent sitting in the room and watching Levi seemed to have helped him sort out his thoughts. He was intrigued. Intrigued by the harsh personality and snide remarks with people, intrigued by the gentle words and soft voice with horses, by the grey eyes and dark hair, by the perfect posture and technique. There was nothing that didn’t pique Eren’s interest, and make him wonder. He wanted to know Levi. He didn’t hate him, but he didn’t necessarily like him. That was still unsure. However, Eren was now positive of what he wanted. He wanted to get to know Levi. What could potentially happen between them wasn’t something Eren was thinking about. He would push aside all of his feelings, and he would start over. He would take a few days, or maybe weeks, to get to know Levi before deciding where he stood with him. Yes, that seemed like a good plan.

Ignore all feelings, deny all attraction. He would treat him as a neutral stranger; he would treat him as a stable hand should treat a rider. He wasn’t going to ask anyone about Levi to avoid biased opinions, and vowed to gather all of his information simply by watching and occasionally interacting. Once he had a better idea as to who Levi was, he would be able to decide what he thought of him.

Eren decided that after this riding session, he was off to a good start. Between the tour and the riding, Eren had been able to see two different sides of Levi, but he still had a long, long way to go.

* * *

 

Eren decided he wouldn’t tell anyone about his plan. This was something he was going to do, and as much as he loved Armin, he didn’t want him to interfere. He had to do it entirely by himself, so that he wouldn’t be too affected by outside opinions.

His first chance to enact his plan was later that day, while he was grooming Folly. Someone cleared their throat at the entrance to the stall, and Eren peeked under the mare’s neck to see who it was. Levi was standing outside the half open stall door with his arms crossed. Eren took a deep breath—he didn’t know why he was nervous, but he prepared himself nonetheless.

“Hello, sir. Do you need anything?” Eren kept his tone professional, and even went to the other side of Folly so he could better see the man.

A slight frown appeared on Levi’s face, and he uncrossed his arms. “I will be taking care of my own horse. Grooming, feeding, mucking, and all. I’ve spoken with Pixis about this, and he agreed that it’s my horse, so I’m able to do what I please with him. You won’t be needing to worry about him, so please keep that in mind.”

Eren was confused. They mucked three to four times a day, and fed at around the same time. There was also turnout and exercise times to consider. Taking care of a horse entirely by yourself would require one to spend as much time at the barn as the stable hands. “May I ask why?” Did he not trust them?

“I prefer to do things for myself. I can guarantee that my horse will be well taken care of if I’m the one doing the care. I don’t doubt your capabilities, but I also don’t like others around my horse, and he doesn’t like it much either. I wouldn’t have boarded him here had I not believed he would be safe, but I am still to be his primary caretaker. There will be days when I am unable to make it every time, and those are the days you are to care for him for me. You’re the only person he didn’t react negatively to, and if he trusts you, then I suppose I have no other choice than to trust you as well. I’ll have instructions on what to do for him by tomorrow, and they’ll be posted by my tack trunk. They’re much more detailed than what Pixis gave you, and I expect them to be followed word for word, understand?”

Eren was a bit taken aback. He didn’t know what to do with this information, and he didn’t understand why Levi insisted on taking care of his horse himself. “A-aye sir!” He felt a bit proud that Levi was going to trust him with this over any of the other stable hands, including Nile the caretaker.

“Anything else?”

“No.” Levi slid the stall door open, and Folly swung her head around to inspect what was happening.

To Eren’s surprise, Levi stepped into the stall and reached one hand out towards Folly. As if Eren wasn’t even there, he greeted the mare like an old friend. “Hello, Folly. How have you been?” She nickered and pushed her nose towards his hand. He rubbed the soft nose with a chuckle. “Lovely to see you, too. Has Erwin taken care of you?”

He looked at Eren for the last sentence, expecting him to answer for the horse.

“Yes! He takes very good care, and even enlisted me to ride her on days he’s not feeling up to it!” Eren had hoped to impress Levi with the last part, but it seemed to have no effect.

“Yes, he did tell me about that. I assume you care for her equally as well?” This time, he looked towards Folly for an answer. She blew air out her nose in a half snort. “I’ll take that as a yes, then. You be gentle with him, he’s just a brat."

“Hey!” Eren protested, before remembering he was supposed to be professional. “I mean, yeah. She’s a real good girl. Haven’t had any problems with her.”

“She is a good girl.” Levi agreed. He stood on his toes to reach between her ears in a way that was oddly alluring. She lowered her head further so he could easier reach, and her ears drooped in relaxation as slender fingers scratched between them. Eren had to drag his eyes away and remind himself once again that now was not the time for that. He thought the size difference of man and horse was rather amusing, as Folly’s withers were way over Levi’s head, meaning that he likely could have walked under her neck without needing to duck.

Fiddling awkwardly with the brush in his hands, Eren stood off to the side of the stall while Levi spoke to Folly for a few seconds longer.

“Au revoir, Folly.” He patted her nose once more and nodded to Eren as he left the stall. “Remember, I’ll be taking care of Corporal tonight!” Levi called over his shoulder as he walked away.

* * *

 

There were no more encounters with Levi for the rest of the day. Eren, Armin, and Krista were kept busy until dinner, and Eren figured that the short man had either left, or that he had simply been too busy to see him again. The vet’s assistant, Moblit, had arrived with a truck of hay, and Eren had spent a good portion of the afternoon moving hay from the truck into storage.

Erwin and Eren moved the hay, and Krista and Armin stacked the bales into place. They had been running low, so it was lucky that it had arrived today.

After the hay had been put away properly, Eren and Armin worked to put the horses where they needed to be for the late afternoon, and were each in charge of tacking up a horse for the lesson happening later in the day.

There was an endless amount of everyday chores to do, and Eren found himself wishing that Nile was back from vacation. Having just one extra person lowered the work load much more than one would think. By the time the dinner feeding came around, Eren was already exhausted, and was half considering asking to take off early. He hadn’t yet had time to take a break besides his one hour watching earlier in the morning. But there was no way he could leave Armin and Krista alone to do everything. That would be unfair, especially with how tired they also had to be. There was only a few hours left, and he would just have to power through.

Feeding was over quickly, and soon all of the horses were happily munching away as the sun slowly set. Finally, they were able to take a break. Armin and Eren flopped down on the couches where they had held the meeting with Levi just yesterday. It felt like it had been much, much longer than that little amount of time. They sat in comfortable silence, but Eren opened his eyes when Armin spoke. “So, you and Levi.”

“Hm?” Eren frowned.

“What’re you going to do about that?”

“Oh, I don’t know yet.” Eren lied. It wasn’t a big lie, but he still felt bad about it. He wasn’t doing this long term, and he swore would tell Armin about it once he had made up his mind. “I still don’t know what I think about him.” There. That wasn’t a total lie.

“Hm, I know what you mean. After meeting him, your rambling last night makes a bit more sense. He seems like a complicated guy, you know?”  
“Yeah.” They lapsed into silence for a while.

“Why doesn’t he have an accent?” Armin wondered aloud.

“I don’t know. Practice maybe?”

“But he lived in France, I mean, he is French. He wasn’t even raised here. So he should have an accent, but he doesn’t.”

“I don’t know, Arm. He hung out with a lot of Americans. He probably just practiced it away or something.”

“Maybe.” More silence.

“What time are you leaving tonight?” Once again, Armin was the one to break the silence. Eren had started to doze off, and the quiet voice jerked him back awake. “What?”  
“I asked what time you’re leaving tonight.” Armin frowned. “I sure hope you’re leaving early.”

Eren yawned and nodded. “Yeah, it’s been a while since I’ve left early, and I was thinking of asking Pixis if Erwin could take over for me.”

“I don’t think he would mind. You do the most work out of all of us.” Armin sounded concerned, as Eren’s eyes had started to droop again. “You need to go home before you fall asleep."

“No, no, I’m fine, don’t worry about me.” Eren fought back another yawn.

“C’mon, Pixis is probably in his office.”

“Mm.” Eren stood up and stretched, swaying slightly. “Hopefully a walk to get your things will wake you up. You can’t fall asleep at the wheel.” Armin lectured. “And go straight to bed when you get home. I’m sure Mikasa wouldn’t be pleased otherwise.”

Armin was suddenly gone, and Eren was left swaying on his feet alone. He jerked awake when a pair of arms caught him from falling flat on his face.

“Kid, what are you doing? You’re not a horse; you can’t sleep standing up.”

Eren was instantly more awake. “Wha-?! Levi? What-what are you doing?”

“I’m saving your ass. You were falling asleep, and damn near to falling.”

“Oh.” Eren’s cheeks flushed red when he became fully aware of the situation he was in. Levi’s arms were around Eren’s chest, and he was surprised that the short man could even hold him up. A shiver went up his spine at the contact, and he cleared his throat before scrambling to stand on his own. “I’m sorry, sir!”

“Tch. Where’s your friend? The one with the coconut hair?”

“He does not-!” Okay, so maybe Armin did have coconut hair. But that gave Levi no right to call him that. “He’s talking to Pixis I think. I don’t know, I’m too tired.”

“Why is he talking to Pixis?”

“He’s seeing if I can leave-” Just then, Armin reappeared. “Pixis said you can leave early, Eren. We can g- oh!” The blonde stopped walking and looked at Levi. “You’re still here?”

“I came back to feed Corporal and muck out his stall.”

“Oooh, so you really are going to do that?”

“Tch, why would I not?”

“I don’t know, it just didn’t seem likely.”

“Hm.” He looked back at Eren. “So you’re leaving?”

“I guess so.” Eren yawned, and his eyes watered. If he just closed them now… Maybe Levi would catch him again. He decided to try just that, and closed his eyes for only a second before a sharp flick to his forehead woke him up again. “Ow! What was that for?”

“How far away do you live?”

“I don’t know. Twenty, maybe thirty minutes?”

“You’re not driving yourself home.”

“Uh, yes I am?”

“No, I’ll drive you home?”

Eren blinked at him blankly. “What?”

“I said I’m driving you home.”

“I can do it myself!” 

“Not in your current state. Armin agrees.” It occurred to Eren that this had been one of the first times he had used either one of their names.

“Yeah… Eren, I think you can trust Levi to get you home. I trust him driving more than you…”

“Pixis is also in agreement.” The man spoke up from behind Armin. “I know Levi well, he can get you home safely. Don’t let your pride kill you Eren. It’s too dangerous for you to be driving right now.”

“I would take you myself, Eren, but my car’s broke and Grandpa’s not coming to get me for another two hours.” Armin said shyly. “Just let Levi take you. I can pick you up tomorrow morning, and your car will be here for you to go home tomorrow.”

“Ugh, fine.” Eren slurred. “I just wanna sleep.”

He had been semi-alert a few minutes ago, but the fact that he wouldn’t be driving seemed to tell his subconscious that there was no longer a reason to stay alert or awake. He was hardly aware of what was going on as everyone around him made plans for him to get home. All he knew was that Levi would be taking him home, and Armin would be picking him up tomorrow. He figured that was the only important information.

“It’s like you’re fucking drunk, kid.” Levi grunted as he and Armin struggled to help Eren walk out to Levi’s car. There was a quiet click, and soon Eren was seated on the passenger side of Levi’s car.

“I’ll be right back.” Someone’s voice spoke, but Eren couldn’t tell who.

An arm reached across Eren’s chest to buckle the seatbelt, and Eren muttered “Thanks, Arm.” Which was followed by a giggle fit. Was he thanking the arm, or Armin? It could be one or both, and that fact was beyond amusing to him.

“What the fuck are you laughing at?” Levi grunted as he ducked back out of the car.

“Mn, nothing.” The statement was followed by another round of giggling.

“Here’s his things.” Armin returned, and handed Levi Eren’s backpack. “I texted his sister that he’d be home early.”

“Okay. I’ll get him home.”

“Thank you, Levi.”

The voices were already fuzzy to start with, but they faded away altogether when the car door was shut. By the time Levi had opened the driver’s side door and started the car, he was already fast asleep.

“Idiot.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glossary:  
> "...what Eren knew they could jump."- Jump heights at the level that Corporal and Levi ride at are around 4-5 feet, so a 2 foot jump is fairly short in comparison  
> Liverpool- A type of jump with a pool of water underneath [xx](http://horsejumps.net/images/index-pages-images/real-size/jump-assembly-PPA26-liverpool-with-PolyPro-jump-standards.png)  
> Oxer- A type of double jump where the second jump is typically higher [xx](http://www.janesleeper.com/images/Kelly_jump_sideways07.jpg)  
> Stirrups- What you put your feet in when you ride. The little metal things attached to the saddle  
> Two-point- The position that you go into when you jump. [xx](http://www.equestrianandhorse.com/images/main/Horse_Jumping_1597014.jpg)  
> Vertical- The most basic type of jump, very standard and simple [xx](http://wellingtonalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Ridge-Event-Jump.jpg)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> This chapter... its a little rough. Things don't go as smoothly as planned, but I tried so many times and just can't seem to get it right. I've never written Levi before, so I hope he's not too out of character.. I also hope things aren't too choppy! I'm not entirely pleased, but really, when am I?
> 
> Anyways, I think the update day is going to be (tenatively) Saturdays! So from now on, this fic will be updated nearly every Saturday. However, that's not a guarantee. I'll try my best to get a few chapters ahead, but no promises. Some weeks, school might get in the way and I ask that everyone be patient when that happens!
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading! I added a few tags as I've been thinking more about how the plot is going to advance. 
> 
> My tumblr is [tinycaptainlevi](http://www.tinycaptainlevi.tumblr.com) and the tumblr for this fic is [rymdhingst](http://www.rymdhingst.tumblr.com). Please check them out, especially the rymdhingst one! Things such as ficlets, art, and more will be posted there. 
> 
> Let me know in the comments what you guys want to see happen! I'd love to have input from you, and every comment makes me smile. (But really, let me know of anything you want to happen in this fic! Im open to any and all suggestions) Also, kudos really give me motivation to keep writing!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I'm sorry it took me so long to get it up. I apologise for any awkwardness, as well as spelling and grammar mistakes. Once again, its fairly early in the morning so I may have missed a few. 
> 
> Sorry for rambling on for so long. Enjoy!

What had Levi gotten himself into? He hadn’t planned on any of this. He never planned to drive a sleep deprived, snot nosed brat home--a brat who was currently snoring and drooling all over the interior of Levi’s car. Repulsive. He mentally reminded himself to do a thorough cleaning of the car the next day.

“In 500 metres, turn right onto Garrison Road.” Levi’s phone chirped, and Eren’s snoring paused, but resumed seconds later. He slept like a goddamn brick, and Levi wasn’t entirely sure if he would be able to wake him up when they arrived at his apartment.

One may wonder why he had even offered to give a ride home in the first place. And honestly, Levi wondered the same thing. He had been headed to talk to Pixis before he left for home, but found himself catching the kid before he fell face first onto the tile. The impact just about knocked him over—he had been much heavier than Levi would have guessed. Next thing he knew, the words were falling out of his mouth. “You’re not driving yourself home.”

Shit. He had thought that maybe he could place it upon Armin or maybe even Erwin to get Eren home, but his mouth seemed to talk without his brain’s permission. “I’ll drive you home?”

Double shit. At that point, he was committed. There was no turning back. The damage was already done, so he had figured he may as well just let it continue downhill.

“I said I’m driving you home.” He was so royally fucked. There had been no reason to offer that. No reason to encourage it. Levi wasn’t even sure he _wanted_ to do this.

But, Eren had argued, naturally. Levi may have had only known him for a day, but he was easy to read. The slight turning-down of his lips and the crease that appeared between his eyebrows made it all too clear that he wasn’t accepting the offer easily. Not that Levi had been having a great time offering it.

“Armin agrees.” _Ah, yes, Levi. Drag his friend into this. Perfect. You’ve left yourself absolutely no escape._

Of course, Armin had indeed been in agreement, and so had Pixis. Yep. No escape now.

And that was that. Fast forward 10 minutes, and here he was. Driving a boy he barely knew home. Had he wanted to do this? Hell no. Did he know why he had even offered? Not the slightest clue. Was it as bad as he had thought it would be? Yes. Well, no. Not quite. He had imagined a lot more lucid rambling. If you ignored the snoring and drooling, it was actually kind of… endearing. Levi kicked himself for even thinking that.

What was he, a lovesick teenager?

His eyes went wide at the thought. Shit, no. He was not lovesick. He didn’t know why the thought had even appeared in his mind. He had no interest in a seventeen year old, and he never would. Sure, one could say Eren was almost adorable with his excitement and enthusiasm, but Levi had no intention of ever admitting that. On the other hand, it was almost funny how obvious Eren’s admiration of Levi was.

He doubted that the boy even realised how often he had stared at Levi whenever he was around. Or maybe he did, based on how often he would look away and then flush red. Either way, Levi found it to be slightly amusing. He had appeared almost crestfallen when Levi had announced that he would be caring for his own horse, which Levi didn’t understand. He was taking work away from the kid without taking away pay, so he should have been grateful for that. But for some odd reason, he didn’t seem to be. Did he actually _want_ to care for a moody and stubborn stallion? No one ever wanted to deal with Corporal. 

Although, that was usually because of Corporal’s general dislike of most people. Like Levi himself, he got along with very few people, although he tolerated most. Not like, or even dislike, just a tolerance. Corporal had shown surprising affection towards Eren, which overall made Levi trust him slightly more than he would others. If Corporal thought he was alright, then Levi would follow his lead. But although Levi trusted Eren more than he would any other stable hand, he didn’t trust him enough to allow him to care for his horse.

Corporal was a very spoiled stallion, and Levi believed that it was one’s responsibility to spend time with their own horse. How could you call it your horse if you left all the work to others? Just because you have your name slapped on some certificate doesn’t mean that you own it—not if you did nothing for the creature. The true owner was the one who the horse trusted most. The one who loved it, cared for it, and spent time with it. He never wanted to slack off in his responsibilities, so he was usually the one doing the work.

If he was going to own a horse, he was going to do it right.

Though, Levi still wasn’t sure as to why Eren had looked so disappointed at his announcement. Less time with Corporal meant less time around Levi, and he knew plenty of people would be glad for that. He wasn’t someone who was easy to get along with, and had given up trying long ago.

Levi was aware of his rude tendencies, but most weren’t intentional. Things just sort of… came out. He rarely made the decision to say something rude or insulting, it just sort of happened. Surprisingly, that hadn’t seemed to put the kid off too much. Yet. He still looked at Levi with the same mix of awe and fascination. Levi had to admit he rather enjoyed it.

Though Eren admired Levi, the older man had to admit that he admired the kid, too. Not in the same way, or for the same reasons, or even to the same extent, but it was obvious that he was a good person. _Less of an admiration, and more of a…_ Levi came up with nothing. He was older than this kid, and he had more power. There was no reason for him to be admiring him. He was just a snot nosed brat who couldn’t take care of himself well enough to get enough sleep.

However, the excitement in his unusual eyes never seemed to fade. Levi thought that his eyes were one of the most intriguing things about him. One was a stunning blue-green, and the other was a shining golden colour. The contrast between the two was startling.

The blue-green was full of excitement and recklessness, while the soft gold was filled with wisdom and gentleness, but also held hints of his fiery personality. They were direct opposites, yet they somehow worked together to create something that it was difficult to look away from.

Not that Levi would know that, of course. It was just something he had observed. From others, not from experience.

Eren’s enthusiasm was never ending, and it was almost enough to be infectious. Levi found it almost impossible to be in a bad mood during the times he had been around Eren. This observation was more from experience. But it was harmless, right?

He took exceptional care of the horses, and seemed to be friendly with a good majority of the barn. It was obvious that he loved his job, and Levi was interested in seeing how well he rode. He was willing to bet that Eren was interested in joining a riding program here, and perhaps Levi could put in a good word to Pixis for him if he seemed that he had potential.

Alright, fine. Maybe he did have a certain amount of admiration for the kid. But it had only been two days, and there was no way he felt anything past slight admiration.

Eren’s snoring finally stopped, and he tried to curl up around his seatbelt. Levi took his eyes off the road for a moment to look at the way his dark hair fell over his face, and his utterly calm expression. Ah, if only Levi could sleep like that.

He looked back to the road, and nearly swerved into a ditch when he heard his name.

“Mm… Levi.” The man whipped his head around and stared at Eren, thinking he had woken up. However, his eyes were still closed, and he said no more after that. His eyes were moving under his eyelids, indicating that he was in REM sleep. There was no way he was even slightly awake at this point.

Levi returned his eyes to the road, more than a little shocked at what just happened.

Right. Nothing past slight admiration.

* * *

It took Eren a few minutes to recognise where he was when he woke up. How had he gotten home? What time was it? Wait, what day was it? Shit. He didn’t know anything. Throwing his arm over the side of his bed to search for his phone, he only succeeded in knocking most of whatever was on his nightstand to the floor. With a grunt, he rolled back onto his back and stared at the ceiling, trying to blink sleep out of his eyes.

Where the hell was his phone? He was too tired for this. A sudden buzzing in his pocket made him jump, and maybe emit a small squeak that he would never admit to anyone. His phone was in his… pocket? And he was wearing jeans.

Eren sat straight up and dug his phone out of his pocket. Why hadn’t he put on pajama pants? Why hadn’t he put on any pajamas? Eren questioned when realised he was still in his work clothes. A boring brown polo and slightly ratty jeans. A glance at his phone told him it was almost 10:00 am.

“Shit!” Eren tried to scramble off his bed, but ended up half on and half off the bed, with his legs still tangled in the sheets. He was late. He was so, so late. Pixis was going to _kill_ him. Why didn’t his alarm go off? He always had his phone set to wake him up. Shit, shit, shit.

He didn’t notice the alerts in the corner of the messaging app until he was halfway through brushing his teeth. He should text Pixis and apologise. Or maybe he should call him instead? No, a text would be good for now. He couldn’t talk and get ready at the same time.

When he opened the messaging app, he almost missed the blue dots indicating he had messages from Armin. Oh shit, he was probably worried. Or upset.

Without reading the message preview, he tapped on the contact name.

 **From: Armin Arlert**  
Hope you got home okay

 **From: Armin Arlert**  
By the way, Pixis said he’s giving you half the day off tomorrow

 **From: Armin Arlert**  
Hope you slept well!

 **From: Armin Arlert**  
Oh, I forgot to mention what time you work today. I’ll be around to pick you up at 1:00. Get some rest, okay?

 **From: Armin Arlert**  
I realise that it’s possible these messages may have woken you. Sorry.

Day off? Since when did he have half the day off?

And in that moment, everything came rushing back all at once. He barely remembered last night, but he remembered enough for Armin’s texts to make sense. He remembered being practically asleep on his feet, and insisting he could take himself home. He remembered almost falling on his face, before someone caught him. He remembered being put into a car, and Levi’s voice saying something before he passed out.

Levi’s voice. Levi’s arms. Levi’s car. Oh, shit.

His face flamed red in the mirror as his brain decided to vividly remember just how Levi’s arms felt around him when he had nearly fallen. Oh God, no. Levi had only been helping him. He was a stable hand. Levi had no interest in Eren, and had only done it on instinct. He had only driven him home because he was the only person available to do so. Eren was very glad he hadn’t been awake for that drive. It would have been incredibly embarrassing and awkward. Although, he was sure being asleep wasn’t much better. At least he wouldn’t remember it. Mikasa swore he was dead to the world when he slept, so there was no chance he had done anything embarrassing while asleep. Or so he hoped.

But, Levi had driven him home. Levi Ackerman. The irritable, short, and attractive man had offered his own car to take Eren home. Levi knew where Eren lived. Levi had probably met Mikasa.

Damn, he really hated not being able to remember things.

Eren padded back to his room and gathered what he would need to take a shower. He felt especially gross after having slept in his clothes. That, combined with the general dirtiness after working with horses all day left him feeling like he had a layer of dirt all over his body. It wasn’t particularly bad, but it wasn’t the most comfortable of feelings.

After a quick shower, he decided it was a good time to change his sheets as well. He had no idea when he’d last changed them, and he was feeling like he was in a cleaning mood. An unusual one, but one that he always took advantage of when it came around.

By the time he had cleaned up his room, texted Armin back, and dicked around on the computer for a bit, it was almost time for the blonde to be arriving to pick him up. Sure enough, his phone buzzed with an incoming text.

 **From: Armin Arlert  
** I’ll be there in 30 minutes.

 **From: Armin Arlert  
** How you doing this morning?

 **To: Armin Arlert**  
good. maybe ill be functioning today

 **From: Arlert Arlert  
** That’s always a good thing :p

 **To: Armin Arlert  
** yeah

 **From: Armin Arlert  
** Gotta drive now. See you soon

 **To: Armin Arlert**  
okay

With nothing else to do while waiting for Armin, Eren logged off his computer and headed out to see if he could find anything suitable for a quick lunch. He glanced over a note from Mikasa as he waited for his toast to be done.

_Eren,_

_I’ll be at work by the time you wake up. Armin said he’s coming to get you later, so don’t forget about that. He texted me last night telling me that some guy named Levi would be taking you home. Levi said you were passed out the whole way back here. I doubt you remember anything, but text me when you’re up._

_-Mikasa xx_

Eren crumpled up the note and pulled out his phone.

 **To: Mikasa  
** I’m up. armins gonna be here soon

Eren was just finishing up his small meal of a single slice of toast when the dark haired girl texted back.

 **From: Mikasa  
** Okay. Your car’s at the barn still. You’re driving yourself home.

 **To: Mikasa  
** yeah, yeah. I know

 **From: Mikasa  
** Don’t forget to tell Levi thank you

 **To: Mikasa  
** yeah sure

 **From: Mikasa  
** Don’t forget

 **To: Mikasa  
** I wont!

Now that he was more awake, Eren realised how last night’s events played into his plans to find out more about Levi. He had offered to drive Eren. He went through on the offer. Why? To gain something? Probably not. He already knew Pixis and Erwin, so he had no first impressions to make. Was he aiming to impress Eren and Armin? It seemed unlikely. Didn’t seem like something he would do. He wouldn’t do pointless favours just to get someone to like him, right?

No, he didn’t seem like the kind of person to care much about what others thought of him.

Eren had no idea why he had done what he did. Was it just out of the goodness of his heart? Probably. Did he even _have_ an ulterior motive? Thinking about it now, Eren would guess that he didn’t.

This was messing with his mind even more than before. There was no reason to pick Levi apart. He just needed information. He didn’t need to know the reasons behind the information he got.

He angrily gulped down a glass of orange juice as he once again considered his opinion of Levi.

In the end, Eren decided that he liked the short man a little more. The asshole exterior wasn’t turning out to be entirely true. An asshole wouldn’t offer to drive someone who was practically a stranger home. Only creeps and genuinely good people did that.

So, Levi was either a somewhat good guy, or he was a serious creep.

And honestly, Eren was definitely leaning more towards good guy now. His experiment was turning out to be much shorter lived that he had originally planned. He figured he would need a few weeks, but it was now looking like he would need some pretty significant evidence to sway him from his current view of Levi.

And it had only been a day.

* * *

Eren climbed into the front seat of his own car, which Armin happened to be driving. It felt weird; being in the passenger seat of the car that you had been driving for the last few years. It felt kind of nice, too—being escorted to work by your best friend. He could get used to this, actually.

“So, how were things with Levi?”

“I dunno, I slept the whole way.”

“I’m not surprised. You were way out of it. I’m still wondering how you were managing to function up until you started to literally fall asleep on your feet.”

“I really can’t tell you, Arm. I remember practically nothing from last night.”

“Again, I’m not surprised. But you’re feeling better this morning?”

“Oh, yeah. Definitely."

“Good. I had to clean out all the stalls on my own last night. Turns out Krista left early, too.”

“That’s what you get for ditching us yesterday.” Eren teased.

“Hey! It’s not my fault I felt like crap!” Armin defended himself.

“Yeah, yeah. I know. I’m just messing with you.”

“Humph. You got enough sleep? You won’t be falling asleep on us again?”

“Nah, I’m good. Thanks for getting me part of the day off, by the way. And coming to pick me up, even if it was in my own car.”

Armin blushed lightly. “Y-yeah, no problem. And I don’t have my own car currently, so this was the best I could do!”

“I know. I appreciate it, man. Thanks.”

“Anytime.”

The rest of the ride was mostly silent, apart from the low noise of the radio and the occasional comments from the two teens riding in the car.

Eren stared out the window at the countryside, and eventually found his thoughts drifting back to Levi. Dammit. This was starting to become an issue. For the last two days, his thoughts had been almost completely occupied with the man.

Levi was a man, Eren was a boy. Levi was a famous eventer, and Eren was a stable hand. Levi had a famous circle of friends, and Eren only had Armin and Mikasa. They were completely different, and there was no reason for him to be thinking about him so often.

Had Levi thought about him once in the past two days? Other than the times they had been together, had he even remembered Eren? No, he probably didn’t. He was just the stable hand, just someone who took care of the horses and completed the tasks many of the riders were too lazy to do themselves. No one memorable, and no one special.

Compared to Levi, Eren was nothing. The realisation hit him hard, and a sudden sinking feeling settled in his gut. He doubted that Levi would ever pay attention to him, or even acknowledge him past a courtesy nod. Despite what had happened last night, Levi would likely never acknowledge Eren in that way again. He had probably only done that to look good. To keep up his flawless reputation.

Eren didn’t know why that hurt so much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glossary:  
> No terms for this chapter, but I did find [this](http://tinycaptainlevi.tumblr.com/post/110789050527) fantastic post~  
> 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren's not the smoothest human alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To make up for the fairly short last chapter, I managed to crank this out. Things are starting to really pick up now and I'm excited!
> 
> I actually liked this chapter quite a bit, and I hope you guys feel the same way. Let me know what you think in the comments! I love to hear from you guys. If you have any ideas or anything that you want to happen, please don't hestitate to let me know. I want input and feedback from you all!
> 
> Vocab is posted in the end notes. I may have forgotten some, so let me know if there's any terms you don't know! I also apologise for grammar and spelling mistakes. If you see one, point it out please. 
> 
> I can be reached on tumblr as [tinycaptainlevi](http://www.tinycaptainlevi.tumblr.com), and the tumblr for this fic is [rymdhingst](http://www.rymdhingst.tumblr.com). 
> 
> I track the tags fic: flying lead change and fic: flc so leave me things in there if you want me to see something!
> 
> I hope you enjoy~

Eren was dragging his feet for the rest of the afternoon. People asked how he was doing, and he faked a smile and told them he was much better, thank you, but he wasn’t feeling the best anymore. He hadn’t seen Levi at all yet. He was probably avoiding coming out today, because he was embarrassed about helping someone like Eren. Stable hands and riders didn’t mix. They didn’t interact outside the barn.

Eren had been stupid to even think that Levi would ever take interest in him. Maybe he wasn’t so much of a good guy. Maybe he really was a faker.

 _No._ Eren thought to himself. _He’s good, and you know it. You’re being ridiculous. You don’t even_ know _this guy, really. Stop moping and get back to work. You’re not helping anyone by acting this way._

And with that, Eren forced himself into a better mood. No more dragging his feet. No, he loved his job. He was not going to let it be ruined by one man. He was going to keep his head up and continue loving his job, despite what anyone else may think of him.

The doubt still lingered, however. Jean didn’t like him, so why would it matter if Levi didn’t care for him?

Oh, right. Because Eren hated Jean, but he didn’t hate Levi.

Speak of the Devil, and he will appear.

Jean was walking across the property towards Eren, who was just exiting barn A. “Hey, Jaeger, some midget is looking for you.”

Eren paused and turned around with a frown. “Excuse you?”

“Someone’s looking for you. About this tall, dark hair, angry? The new guy?”

Eren’s heart leapt. Levi was looking for him? He tried to conceal his hope, but had a feeling he failed, if Jean’s expression was anything to go off of. Fuck. This could mean weeks—even months—of teasing for Eren. Thankfully, Jean didn’t comment on it.

“Good luck, man. He scares me.” Jean slapped Eren on the back and walked towards Marco, who was just getting out of his car.

Eren’s mind took a moment to process what just happened. Did he just—did he just say good luck? What the hell?

Eren and Jean had never exactly been friendly before, but they weren’t exactly enemies, either. Eren claimed he hated Jean, and Jean would say the same about Eren, but they both knew that it wasn’t entirely true. Their personalities just didn’t work together. They were both too high-strung.

Eren, at least, enjoyed their bantering. It kept things interesting. He wasn’t sure how Jean felt about it, though. It appeared that he enjoyed it, but Eren was beginning to learn you could never tell what a person was thinking.

Especially after his so called “enemy” slapped his back and wished him luck.

Seriously, what the hell had that been about?

Realising that he had no idea where Levi even wanted him at, Eren turned to ask Jean.

“Hey, Kirs-” He stopped when he realised that Jean wasn’t focusing on him right now. He was chatting with Marco, and both boys were blushing like crazy.

Jesus Christ, they were even more obvious than Mike and Erwin. Everyone knew they were crushing on each other, but so far neither of them seemed to realise this fact. Marco laughed at something Jean had said and rubbed at the back of his neck. Ugh, this was too much for Eren to handle. He’d just find Levi on his own.

* * *

Corporal was in his stall, so Levi probably wasn’t in any of the arenas. That left the observatory, or the area outside Pixis’s office. The observatory was closest, so Eren checked there first. It was empty. With a sigh, Eren headed out of the arena and towards the small building not too far away.

He pushed the door open gently and peeked inside. It was… empty as well. Where the hell would he be?

The beeping of a microwave caught Eren’s attention. Could he be in the kitchen? Hardly anyone used the kitchen—mostly because hardly anyone knew how to.

“Sir?” Eren asked as he rounded the corner. Ah, there he was; reaching up to take something out of the microwave. Eren’s stomach did a little flip of nervousness. “Jean said you wanted to see me?”

“Oui, I did.” He turned around, holding a mug full of… water?

“You have an oven, but no tea kettle. How am I supposed to make tea without a kettle? I had to microwave the water like some sort of fucking Neanderthal.” He scoweled.

“I-I’m sorry. I’m sure that if you talk to Pixis he can get one.”

“Oh, I’ll be talking to Pixis alright.”

Jesus, was he always this cranky?

“How are you doing today?” Levi asked unexpectedly as he searched the cabinets for the tea. He found it on his third try, but unfortunately for him, it was on the top shelf.

He turned around and faced Eren with arms crossed, pretending he wasn’t annoyed at his inability to reach the box.

Eren walked over before he could stop himself. “I’m doing fine, thank you.” He replied cooly as he reached for the tea himself. His fingers closed around the box easily, and he handed it to Levi.

The silvery eyes narrowed as he reluctantly accepted Eren’s offering. “Tch. That’s what you want me to hear.”

“No, sir. I mean, yes. I really am fine. Much better than yesterday. Thank you for taking me home, by the way.”

“You would have crashed if I hadn’t.”

“I would not have!”

“You essentially passed out the moment you were in my car. Yes you would have.”

“That’s because I no longer had to stay awake!”

“Sure. You keep telling yourself that, kid."

Eren tried not to pout like a child. “Why did you want to talk to me?”

“Because I wanted to see how you were.”

“That’s all?” Eren was shocked. Why would he care?

“Oui, that’s all. Is that a problem?”

“N-no sir!”

Levi’s eyes held Eren’s for slightly longer than was necessary. Was he staring on purpose?

Eren felt suddenly self-conscious about his eyes, and averted them towards the ground.

Levi looked away, if only to finish making his tea. “How much sleep did you get last night?”

“I dunno. What time did I get home?”

“Around 8:00.”

“Then… more than twelve hours, I guess. Maybe fourteen?”

“Hm, good. Why were you falling asleep yesterday?”

“I haven’t gotten much sleep lately.”

“And why not?”

“Uh, I’m not sure?”

Eren was slightly confused by Levi’s questioning. Why did he care?

“Try and get more sleep. You’re a good worker, but you could do better if you got more sleep.”

Was that an insult?

“O-okay. No offense, sir, but why do you care?”

“Your job is to take care of horses. Horses are living, breathing creatures with minds of their own. If you’re falling asleep on the job, you or the horse could get hurt. I’d expect the employees where I train to have enough common sense about that. Stable hands need to be on alert just as much as riders do. I’m just making sure your shitty ass gets enough sleep so you don’t end up injuring yourself or someone else.”

Eren was pretty sure that was the most he had ever heard Levi say at once.

“Oh, oh yeah. That makes sense, I guess. I’m sorry. I’ll… I’ll do better from now on. It’s just been a rough last couple of nights.”

Levi didn’t respond, and quietly took a sip of his drink instead.

Eren fidgeted awkwardly when the silence continued. Levi frowned before trying another taste. His tongue flicked out to run across his top lip, ridding it of any tea that had been there. Eren’s eyes latched onto the movement, and a faint blush rose in his cheeks.

Fantasies of that tongue slipping into his mouth quickly filled his head. Hungry lips smashing together, tongues intertwining and exploring… Eren stopped himself right there. It was not at all the time for this. He could _not_ be imagining making out with Levi. Not here, not now.

The fantasies were only multiplying, and Eren bit his lip as he felt himself beginning to become half-hard. Shit fuck. Think of something, anything, else. Think about the old lady in the apartment below you. Think about Armin’s grandpa. Oh, god. Anything but Levi’s mouth on yours.

Realising that nothing good was going to come of the situation if he stayed, Eren forced himself to speak calmly. There was only a slight tremor in his voice, and he prayed Levi wouldn’t notice.

“Did you need to speak to me about anything else?” Fuck, that sounded like an opening line for a porno.

“No, I do believe we’re done here. Erwin asked that you take Folly out today, however.”

“O-oh, okay!” Eren squeaked. He’d take care of the horse later. For now, he really needed to handle the growing issue in his pants. Oh man, this was so embarrassing.

“Thank you for taking me home last night! I uh, I owe you one?” It came out sounding like a question.

“Tch. Sure.” Levi held his mug in what was perhaps the strangest way Eren had ever seen and took another sip. He didn’t look at Eren.

“Okay, um, bye!” Eren’s words were awkward and rushed, and he took his exit far too quickly.

Holy shit, what had gotten into him? That had definitely not been the most graceful of partings, not by a long shot. His face burned with embarrassment as he hurried down the hall and into the bathroom. With the door firmly locked and shut behind him, he sat on the toilet and took a shaky breath.

What was going on? He sent a spiteful glare towards his dick, cursing it for forcing him into such a terrible farewell.

What the hell was going on? Why had he acted like that? And most importantly, why had he suddenly imagined Levi’s lips on his? That was not something he should have ever been thinking about. It was wrong. It was so, so wrong. Levi was his superior, he was older than Eren, and he was famous in the riding world. He probably had throes of ladies throwing themselves at his feet. He probably loved it, loved the attention. He probably had some pretty girlfriend at home in France.

Fuck, he probably wasn’t even gay.

Eren groaned and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. This was too much; Eren had got himself into a situation that he knew he would never get out of. His brain would never let him forget the time he fantasised about making out with Levi Ackerman.

During his moment of anguish, at least, Eren’s hard-on seemed to have died down. As long as he avoided seeing Levi for the rest of the day, he would be okay. He would make it home, and he could deal with his situation then. All he needed to do until then was avoid Levi.

* * *

Avoiding Levi was a lot easier said than done.

“Push your heels down!” A voice called as Eren was cantering Folly around in the dressage arena. There was a lesson going on in the main indoor arena, and he didn’t want to disturb them. That, and it was too cold for Eren to tolerate riding outside. His fingers would probably fall off.

How the hell had he found him in here?

Pulling back gently on the reins to bring Folly to a stop, Eren looked at Levi. “My heels are down!”

“Tch, they’re not down enough.”

“Yes they are! I’m not a beginner; I know when my heels are fine and when they’re not!”

“Obviously you don’t. Put them down, kid. Rest all your weight in your heels.”

Eren narrowed his eyes in annoyance, but did what Levi had instructed.

“Better. Doesn’t it feel better to you?”

It did, actually. But Eren would never admit that. “No. It feels the same.”

“Sure it does. Try again, and lower your hands more. Folly has a smooth gait, but it can be made even smoother if you have proper posture.”

Realising that he was getting some form of training from a professional rider, Eren decided it would be best to not argue. He pushed his heels firmly down and lowered his hands towards Folly’s neck. He moved his outside leg back just slightly and made a kissing noise. The transition from walk to canter was smooth and effortless. But after a few steps, Eren realised something was off.

“She’s on the wrong lead. Try again. Move your leg back even more. An inch isn’t going to make much of a difference.” Levi scoffed. “Bring her to a stop, and take her back up again. Heels down, hands down, leg back. Understood?”

With a determined nod, Eren tried again. This time, Folly picked up the right lead. As much as he hated to admit, Levi had been right. The normally smooth canter was now essentially a glide. And damn, it felt nice. It had been a while since he had last ridden, and it felt good to be back in the saddle.

“Good. Move down to a sitting trot, and try the canter from there.”

Eren pulled back gently on the reins, but pitched forward when Folly made the abrupt transition. He was making more mistakes than usual today. It was probably Levi’s fault. He was making him nervous.

“You were leaning too far forward! Sit back, and relax. You’re too tense. It’s making Folly nervous.”

“Yes, sir. Sorry!”

“Don’t apologise, just fix it. Do what you just did, but do it right this time. No losing your balance. Remember your heels and hands.”

Eren nodded again and pushed Folly into a canter.

_Lean back. Heels down. Hands down. Relax. Eyes forward. You can do this. Don’t disappoint._

Eren pulled back on the reins once more. He didn’t pitch forward. His feet didn’t slip. He sat firmly in his seat while Folly transitioned down to a speed that was acceptable for sitting.

“Much better, Eren. Do a lap at the trot, and take her back up to a canter when you pass E again.”

Pride swelled in his chest at Levi’s praise. He had done well! Determined to do things right for the rest of their little “lesson,” Eren paid special attention to his posture.

“Eren! Don’t focus on yourself. Think about what your horse is doing. What is she feeling? What is she thinking?”

“Sorry!” Eren squeaked out. Dammit.

As he neared E, Eren prepared himself to pick up the canter again. _Focus on yourself, focus on the horse. Concentrate._

“Good. When you reach K, cut across to M and reverse directions.”

“Okay!” Eren did as was instructed, and was rewarded with more praise from Levi. “Good, good! Stop when you pass by me.”

Eren brought Folly to a halt just in front of Levi, who was standing with his arms crossed. Anyone on a horse was taller than those on the ground, but Eren more than towered over Levi. He didn’t seem phased by the extreme height difference as he reached up to pat Folly’s neck. “She’s looking good. How are you feeling?” He wasn’t asking like he was necessarily concerned. He was asking like he had something planned.

“Um, good?”

“Not too tired?”

“No, sir.” Was he going to start questioning him like earlier again?

“Good. I’m going to give you a proper workout.”

“S-sir?” Eren hadn’t expected that at all.

“Drop your stirrups.”

“W-what?” Eren was not prepared for something like this.

“I said drop your stirrups. I’m giving you a once in a lifetime chance to train with me, for free. Be glad of it, because it won’t happen often. Now drop them.”

Eren hesitantly took his feet out of the stirrups and looked at Levi expectantly. Was this seriously happening? Eren didn’t even own a horse. Hell, he wasn’t even one of the riders here. Yet Levi was offering to train him?

“Take one lap at a walk. Maintain your posture. Don’t let your legs slip. Understood?”

“Yes sir!”

Eren nudged Folly forward with a click of his tongue. It felt weird with no stirrups. How was he meant to keep his foot in place?

“Bend your knees! Keep your heels down and toes up!” Levi snapped, watching Eren with a critical eye. Eren adjusted his legs but got no praise this time. Shit, this was serious. This wasn’t some sort of joke.

“Start a sitting trot when you pass me. Keep you stirrups down. Start posting when you reach F.”

Eren swallowed hard. Posting without stirrups? That was going to kill.

A light nudge and click was all it took to get Folly up to a trot. It was much harder without the use of stirrups, and Eren felt like he was jolting all around in his seat.

“Keep yourself firmly seated! You’re bouncing like a fucking child. Post for two laps, and try the sitting again when you reach F the second time.”

Eren steeled himself and pushed up with his thighs to begin posting.

“Diagonals, Eren!”

He was on the right diagonal! He looked down to check, but it turned out he definitely was not on the right diagonal. He was making a complete fool of himself. Levi must thing he was a complete newbie.

“You shouldn’t have to check. You should be able to feel it.”

Eren gritted his teeth and didn’t respond. His thighs were already beginning to burn. He had barely made it one lap, how was he going to do one more?

“Don’t start slacking! Keep it strong. Push yourself all the way up. Folly knows her way around the arena. Hold onto her mane for half a lap if you must.”

Tears pricked at the corners of Eren’s eyes. It was really starting to hurt. “One more lap, kid. You’ll be grateful for the sitting trot when you’re done.”

Eren grabbed a fistful of mane for balance and rested his hand on the pommel of the saddle to push himself up and make the task a bit easier.

“Hand off the saddle!” Levi’s eyes narrowed and he glared at Eren’s hand. “You won’t develop any muscle if you cheat like that.”

Eren practically squeaked and moved his hand off the saddle. He had to fight back tears from the burning in his thighs. He had thought he was relatively in shape, but he had been so wrong. His legs were on fire, and he wasn’t sure if they would ever feel normal again.

“Your feet are slipping again! Bring them back in place. Heels down, toes up, knees bent. Keep your foot in line with your knee!”

Eren cursed himself for not wearing his full seat breeches today. It would have made this task just slightly easier because of the extra grip. He adjusted his legs as best as he could while passing R. He was so close to F now. Just a little longer, and he could be done.

When Folly finally reached F, Levi called out “Sitting trot!” As if Eren wouldn’t have remembered. He let his legs relax and tried to sit comfortably in the trot. It didn’t go so well for him.

“Legs up, Eren!” Levi sounded slightly mad. “You’ll have your break soon enough. Do one lap sitting, then walk.”

Eren groaned and adjusted his legs back into position.

“Don’t bounce! Sit strong. Grip with your thighs.”

Eren’s thighs couldn’t take any more gripping. They were practically noodles at this point. It hurt to keep himself on the horse at this point. He would never, ever take stirrups for granted ever again.

“Folly, if you love me, please don’t let me fall.” Eren whispered to the mare. That would just be the cherry on top for Levi, wouldn’t it? Eren was sure he’d get a kick out of that.

Folly, being the wonderful horse she was, didn’t let Eren fall. He finished his lap with no further criticism from Levi, and was finally allowed to walk and pick up his stirrups. Oh, how good it felt to have the solid metal on his feet again.

“Kid, how often do you ride?” Levi addressed Eren.

“Not that often.” Eren admitted. “A few times a month, if I’m lucky. I don’t have my own horse or anything. I usually ride Folly or Bat whenever Erwin and Sasha don’t have time to. Why?”

“You’re not bad, for someone who rides as little as you. You have a long way to go before you’ll be accepted into a program here. You need more training, which I can offer.”

Eren sputtered and stopped Folly in front of Levi.

“You what?”

“I can offer you training, as long as you’re willing to work. I won’t charge you for it. It is your desire to get into a program here, is it not? You’re not going to get in on pity from Pixis. You need to have some measure of talent and ability. I can help you get there.”

“How did you know about that?”

“It’s not hard to tell, kid. No one would work here without the hopes of one day getting into a program.”

“That’s not true!”

“Oh, so you don’t want to be accepted, then?”

“No! I do! It’s just… Why would you offer?”

Levi shrugged nonchalantly. “You have passion and potential. It would be a shame to waste it.”

Eren didn’t know what to say.

“Is all of the training going to be as hard as what I just did?”

“None of it will be easy.” Was Levi’s only answer.

“I don’t even have a horse though!” Eren protested. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t take free training from a world class professional like Levi Ackerman.

“Then you can borrow horses until you get one.” Levi shot back with a scowl. “Look, kid. I don’t offer this kind of thing up freely. Take it or leave it. I’ll get everything worked out for you. You just have to decide if you’ll be willing to work for what you want.”

“I am willing to work! I just don’t know _how_ everything will work.”

“Did I not say I’d take care of it?”

“Y-you did, but I don’t know what you mean by that.”

“Just answer this; do you trust me?”

“I mean, yeah, I guess but-”

“No buts. Do you accept my offer or do you not?” Irritation flashed in Levi’s eyes.

“Okay, yes! You can train me.”

“Alright. Let’s finish this up then. Reverse and do one lap at a trot while standing, then walk a few laps so the both of you can cool off.”  
Eren groaned internally. This had better be worth it in the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art:  
> More art should be posted soon! I have it, but I haven't yet scanned it into my computer to post yet.
> 
> Glossary:  
> All those random letters that Levi was referring to- The letters in a dressage arena that help with routines and such. Here's a picture if you want to reference where Eren was while he was riding: [xx](http://www.equiworld.net/uk/sports/dressage/arena.GIF)  
> Diagonal- Rising and falling in time with the horse's step. When the outside leg goes forwards, you stand up. When it goes back, you sit down.  
> Pommel- The front of the saddle  
> Posting Trot- [xx](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thpmgolDsbQ)  
> Sitting Trot- A trot in which you do not post


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will I ever be happy with a chapter? Who knows. 
> 
> Hello~ Hope you all had a good week! I'm still so excited to get things moving! I have a bunch of new characters to introduce in the next few chapters. Let me know what you thought down in the comments, I can't express how happy hearing from you guys makes me! The response to the last chapter almost blew me away. If you have any requests or questions at all, please feel free to comment or leave me a message at [tinycaptainlevi](http://www.tinycaptainlevi.tumblr.com)
> 
> [Here](http://www.rymdhingst.tumblr.com) is the link for the tumblr just for this fic. I post entirely things about Flying Lead Change there, so check it out!
> 
> See you next saturday~

Eren swore he would never be able to feel his legs again. He’d never walk again. He was a cripple. He was a cripple with noodle legs and he would never be able to function as a normal member of society ever again.

With a loud groan, he threw his arm over his multi-colored eyes and rolled onto his stomach. Mikasa wasn’t home yet, and now that his legs had gotten a break, he didn’t trust them to deliver him safely to the kitchen for something to eat.

Levi had shown no mercy. None whatsoever. Eren had begged for a break, and Levi had simply given him a drink of water before subjecting him to a round of trotting in two point in retaliation for his whining.

He never wanted to stand in two point ever again.

At the end of the lesson, Levi had assured him that he would thank him later. Eren seriously doubted that. What kind of masochist thanked someone for this kind of pain?

Despite it having felt like it had stretched on for hours on end, the lesson had only lasted for a little over an hour. Combined with the time Eren had been working with Folly before Levi arrived, he had been in the saddle for two hours straight. Compared to some of the other riders at the barn, that was nothing. But for Eren, he knew he would have trouble walking tomorrow. Hell, even sitting was going to hurt. His butt was sore, and not in the good way.

In that one hour of riding, Eren had gotten what was quite easily the hardest workout of his life. An angry Frenchman cursing in French was prime motivation to keep going, even when both boy and horse were drenched in sweat. Levi was short, but he was downright terrifying when he wanted to be. Eren had complained for the first half, but quickly learned to shut up when something dangerous flashed in Levi’s silver eyes. There was no way in hell Eren was going to risk messing with that. Instead, he shut his mouth and rode two laps with his hands on his head. No reins. “Use your legs to guide her, (idiot)!” Levi had shouted. Eren wasn’t sure his legs would be able to do much of anything at that point. They already hurt from the posting, and he barely trusted them to guide the mare.

Levi had left Eren with instructions to put Folly away properly and meet him in the observatory of the main arena. Eren had slid off the mare with legs like jelly and hobbled to untack and groom Folly. It was getting much colder at nights, so he decided to throw a blanket over her shining coat before locking her safely in the stall for the night.

Their meeting in the observatory had been pretty boring. Just Levi saying some things about meeting times—only once or twice a week for now, until Eren was able to get a horse of his own. He’d asked about Eren’s birthday, explaining that he needed to know his timeframe for getting him “into shape” in time for his eighteenth birthday.  
And that had been that. With a nod and a few words about Eren’s good work, Levi had left him alone.

Fastforward through thirty fed horses and one deep conversation with Armin, and here he was now. Still lying on his bed, remembering every small detail about the events of the day. He doubted he would ever forget today—his first official lesson, his first look at how Levi was as a professional, and his first boner over his new riding instructor. What a picture perfect day. 

Eren laid like a lifeless lump on his bed for the next hour, until the clicking of a key in the lock stirred him to finally move.

“Eren?” Mikasa called, as she always did when she returned home later than Eren.

“Yeah, I’m here!” He called back as he scooted to the edge of his bed. He stared at the ground with his head hanging off the side. Maybe he could do a roll off the bed to avoid doing any work. _Yeah_. He thought. _That’ll work._ Eren let his arms hang off the edge as well. Jesus, even his fingers were sore from gripping the reins so tightly.  
Another big scoot, and Eren was tumbling headfirst off his bed. He barely remembered to tuck his chin against his chest before he landed on his back with flailing limbs and a string of muttered curses. Damn, that hurt a lot more than he had planned.

“Eren? What was that?” Mikasa’s voice sounded from just outside his bedroom door, obviously alarmed by the loud thunk.

“Nothing!” Eren scrambled to get up before Mikasa could see him lying on the floor like a complete idiot. His sore muscles protested the quick movements, and Eren winced. Oh god, he was so screwed tomorrow. He probably wouldn’t even be able to lift a muck rake.

Rushing across the room, he flung the door open before Mikasa had the chance. Her hand had been reaching for the doorknob, and the shock on her face showed she hadn’t been expecting it to open.

“You coulda knocked, you know. What if I was naked?”

“You weren’t naked.” The corners of her mouth turned down.

“Yeah, but I could’ve been.” Mikasa seemed entirely unaffected by Eren’s argument. Her dark eyes narrowed and she half-squinted at her half-brother. “Did you get hurt? You’re standing funny.”

“I am not!” Eren protested. “How am I standing funny?” He was suddenly hyperaware of his posture, and tried to make it look as normal as possible. Is this how he usually stood? Where did he put his arms? Maybe if he shifted his weight…

A twinge in his muscles stopped him right in his tracks, leaving him balanced awkwardly. Yeah, no. No shifting his weight.

Mikasa heaved a sigh. “Eren, what did you do?”

“I’m not hurt, I swear! Just… sore.” He shifted his weight fully back onto his right side and tried to keep his face from twisting up.

“Hm, sure.”

“No! Really! I rode for like, half the day today.”

“They don’t pay you to ride horses, they pay you to take care of horses.”

“Okay, maybe, but I do have down time sometimes, and Erwin lets me ride his horse.”

“Why were you riding ‘for like, half the day’?” Mikasa questioned, an accusatory look in her eyes.

Eren hesitated, chewing on his bottom lip. His sister already wasn’t a big fan of what he did. He wasn’t sure how she would react to the news that he was going to be getting weekly training. It could go either terribly wrong, or wonderfully right.

“Well, um, I was offered a uh, training.” Eren managed to get out.

Mikasa’s expression didn’t change. “A training?”

“Um, some training. From Levi. He… offered to train me. So I can… get into the eventing program someday.” He turned his eyes down to the ground, too scared to look and see the expression on Mikasa’s face. When she didn’t respond to him, he slowly looked back up. “Mika?”

She looked as if she were thinking very hard about something. “Eren,” she began slowly. “Do you know what you’re getting into?”

Puzzled, Eren asked “What?”

“Do you know what you’re getting into?” Mikasa repeated. “Do you know how dangerous professional riding is? Do you know what could happen to you? Do you know how much of your _time_ this is going to take up?”

“Mika, I’ve been working with these people for years. I know more than enough about what can happen. And I already spend most of my life at the barn, so that’s not going to change.” His voice grew quiet when he added “Besides, I don’t even know if I’ll be good enough to get accepted into a program.” Levi hadn’t made him any promises. He had made it clear that his acceptance into a program was entirely dependent upon his riding skills. If he wasn’t good enough, then he wasn’t good enough and that was that. If he wasn’t accepted, their training would end, and Eren would go back to being just a stable hand. Of course, Eren didn’t want that, but he understood. What was the point in training someone who had nothing to aim for?

Something must have changed in Eren’s expression, because Mikasa’s eyes softened. “Are you sure you want to do that? Dedicate your life to riding?”

Eren nodded. “I mean, I haven’t made any decisions yet and—and nothing’s for sure, but I-yeah. I do. I want to be an eventer. I want to compete, and I want to win.” He hadn’t put much thought into what he wanted to do before, he had only known that he never wanted to be away from horses. But after those words spilled from his mouth, he knew that was what he wanted to do. He wanted to ride with Levi. He wanted to ride in big shows. He wanted to win ribbons and trophies and titles. He wanted an unbreakable bond with another creature.

He wanted to be a rider.

“It’s what I want, Mikasa. You don’t have to approve of it, but I’m going to be training with Levi until I turn eighteen.”

“I’m not going to stop you, Eren. I just want you to be safe. If he wants you to do anything you’re not comfortable with, don’t do it. Tell him no and don’t do it.”

Eren’s cheeks turned horribly red. “Mikasa! I’m riding a horse, not getting down and dirty with him!”

The dark haired girl shrugged. “My point stands for that, too. Horse riding and sex are a lot alike.”

Eren choked, “What?!”

“You use your hips, sometimes crops are involved, and you’re currently walking like you just got fucked into the bed.” Mikasa deadpanned.

Holy shit, what was happening? Was Eren hearing right? Since when did his sister talk this way? His face took on a new shade of red, furthering his embarrassment.

“Levi’s straight, there’s no way anything like that would happen! And besides that, I technically work for him! Oh god, Mika, please stop.” He hid his face in his hands when she opened her mouth to say something else.

“I’m just trying to help.”

“I’m-I’m not walking that bad, am I?” Mikasa looked him straight in the eye and nodded. “You are.”

Eren groaned and hid his face again. “Oh god! What am I going to do tomorrow?”

Mikasa shrugged again before resting a hand on his shoulder. “Whatever you choose to do, Eren, just be safe.”

When he finally gathered the courage to uncover his face, Mikasa was gone. If that wasn’t the most embarrassing conversation of his life, then he didn’t know what was. Deciding he was no longer hungry, Eren went back into his room and flopped down on his bed. Right now, all he needed to do was sleep, and never again think about the words that had just come out of his sister’s mouth.

It was three days before Eren was able to walk normally again. Three days of awkward hobbling and endless teasing from Jean.

Nile had finally returned from his vacation, and Eren had never been happier to see the caretaker before in his life. Walking out to the pastures and back three times a day was beginning to hurt like a bitch.

Eren was relaxing in the observatory when Armin opened the door, letting in a gust of cold October air. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

The blonde flopped onto the couch next to him. “How’s training going?”

“I’m finally able to walk again, but I haven’t done any more since last time.”

“Oh, that’s good.” Armin’s eyes flitted away and he reached up to twirl a piece of hair between his fingers. He was nervous about something.

“What?” Eren asked, trying to prompt his best friend into telling him what was on his mind.

“Oh, nothing.”

Eren narrowed his eyes at the way a slight blush had appeared on Armin’s cheeks. That was a sure sign he was lying. “No, you know something.”

“I do not!”

“Yes you do, you’re blushing. Spill.”

“I wasn’t supposed to hear! I shouldn’t tell you!”

Eren was suspicious now. “Hear what?”

Armin eye’s widened when he realised he had backed himself into a corner. “Okay, promise you won’t tell anyone I told you?” Eren almost rolled his eyes. Of course he wouldn’t tell anyone. “Promise.”

Armin took a deep breath, preparing himself. “Okay… I heard Levi and Erwin talking.”

“And?”

“They were talking about you.”

Eren froze. “M-me? What about me?”

“I-I don’t really know. Erwin was saying that Levi shouldn’t do… something. I don’t know what. He just said he shouldn’t do it.”

“Shouldn’t train me?” Eren’s heart sank. If Erwin was telling Levi no, then Levi wouldn’t be offering him more lessons anytime soon.

Armin shook his head, calming Eren’s fears. “No, it wasn’t that. They also mentioned something about looking for a horse for you, so I don’t think it was that. If they’re looking for a horse, then he can’t be planning on stopping, right?”

“They’re looking for a horse? For me?” Eren was having problems processing what Armin had just said. “Wait, are you serious?” Levi had said that he would take care of getting a horse for Eren, but he didn’t expect him to actually do it. He thought it had just been an attempt to get Eren to agree.

“Yeah, they’re going out to look at one today or tomorrow. I don’t remember exactly, I was scared I was gonna get caught. But Eren, they were talking about _you._ ”

“Y-yeah, I got that.”

“Do you have any idea why?”

“No! But, I really want to know why.” Eren’s eyes narrowed as he thought. “Tell me more of what they said.”

“Okay, um, I really didn’t hear the first part, so I don’t know what any of it means. I doubt it's about your riding, though...”

“Yeah, yeah, I got that. Just tell me?”

“Um, Erwin said something about Levi not doing something, but Levi kept asking why. Erwin was insisting that it wasn’t right, and Levi didn’t seem to agree. He said you weren’t eighteen yet, so Levi should wait, and uh, Levi kept saying that it shouldn’t matter as long as you wanted to?” Doubt crept into his voice as he spoke. It sure did sound an awful lot like Erwin was trying to talk Levi out of training Eren. Maybe Erwin thought it was unfair that Eren was getting a head start. Maybe he didn’t want Eren to be accepted in a program, because then it would be Erwin’s job to train him.

There were too many maybes.

“Then Erwin said that it wouldn’t be his fault if Levi got in trouble, and Levi uh, he didn’t sound very happy. He thanked Erwin for trying to help, and um,” Armin swallowed hard. “He said he would think about it.”

Shit, Levi was going to withdraw his offer. If he did, Eren would never be able to get into a program, not if what Levi had said about his riding was true. He had a solid base, but no technique yet. He couldn’t get in on the base alone, he needed to at least be able to match the other riders in the program, which he couldn’t do at the moment. He had never jumped a full course, and he would need to be able to do that before Pixis would even consider him for a program. He was so screwed. He could feel all of his hopes and dreams flying out the window right then and there.

“I’m really sorry, Eren. Maybe… maybe they were talking about that. I didn’t… I didn’t think of it that way.”

“No, it’s okay. It’s not your fault, don’t apologise.” Eren’s voice sounded drained, even to him. “What did Levi say after?”

“I don’t know. I kind of zoned out. I don’t think they realised I was in the stall, so I tried to block it out when I realised I was eavesdropping. Last I remember, Levi was calling Erwin ‘old man’ and Erwin was calling him ‘short stuff.’”

“Oh.” If Levi was bantering with Erwin like that again, then he had probably fallen into agreement with Erwin. It wouldn’t take long before Levi confronted him about the issue, explained that he could no longer do the training, and that Eren should just give up while he still had a shred of his dignity.

“I really am sorry, Eren. I knew I shouldn’t have told you.”

“No, no this is good. This is good, Armin. Now I’ll be prepared. He won’t be able to drop any surprises on me now, and I’ll have time to plan out what I’m going to say. Thanks, Arm.”

Armin didn’t look as confident as Eren sounded. “I-if you’re sure…”

The door to the observatory slammed open from the force of the wind, causing Armin to jump with a loud squeak.

“Putain de merde!” Levi cursed, or so Eren assumed; he didn’t speak French. “Fucking wind.” Levi muttered as he straightened the coat he was wearing.

Eren sat frozen on the couch, staring at the man who had just entered. The strong wind outside had messed up his hair, leaving it sticking up and falling in his eyes. If Eren had had any hope of formulating a response for the inevitable news Levi was about to deliver, it had been sucked out the door the moment Levi walked in looking like he had just had sex.

Those flushed cheeks and mussed hair were doing things for Eren; things he very much preferred to keep in his pants. For now.

“Stop staring, kid. Didn’t your mom ever tell you that’s rude?”

“I-sorry!” Eren’s face grew hot, and he was sure he was blushing all the way to the tops of his ears. “W-what are you doing in here?”

“I came to find you. We need to talk.” Armin squeaked, and Eren’s blush disappeared completely as all the blood drained from his face. This was it. Levi was going to drop the bomb, and tell him they couldn’t train anymore. He steeled his face into something that he hoped was neutral and calm; into something that he hoped wouldn’t give away his despair when Levi spoke.

Levi took a breath and Eren steeled his nerves in preparation for the worst.

“I spoke to Erwin, and he voiced that he agrees you deserve your own horse as much as anyone else at this barn.”

Armin gasped quietly and Eren spoke on autopilot. “That’s okay, sir, I unde- wait, what?” Realisation at what Levi had just said sunk in, and Eren wasn’t sure if he had heard right.  
Levi cocked an eyebrow at Eren and spoke again. “I enlisted Erwin’s expertise in finding you a horse, and he’s in agreement. You deserve a horse, and it won’t be beneficial to any of us if you’re training on borrowed horses for the next six months. We’ve found a few potential candidates, and Erwin wants to see what you think of them. First visit is tomorrow. Pixis gave you and your friend half the day off, so you’d better be here on time in the morning. I’ll be coming along, to give my thoughts.”

Eren sat, staring at Levi with his mouth half open. He probably looked like an utter idiot, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He was… getting a horse? His own horse. He was going to look at horses tomorrow. With Armin. And Erwin, and Levi. Oh god, this couldn’t be happening. This wasn’t real. He was dreaming, and soon his alarm would be going off to bring him back to reality.

“Oi, kid. You still here, or did you go and die on me?” Levi scoweled.

Eren shot to his feet. “A-aye, sir! I’m here, sorry! W-we’re going to look at horses?”

“Oui, crétin. Did you not pay attention to what I just said?”

“S-sorry.” Eren mumbled. “I just didn’t think…”

“Didn’t think what?”

“I didn’t think I would actually be getting a horse. I-I thought it was just a ploy to get me to agree to training.” Eren looked Levi in the eye as he spoke. It didn’t help the growing problem in his pants in the slightest.

“Tch, you’re an idiot, then.”

“So I’ve heard.” Eren spoke under his breath, hoping Levi wouldn’t hear. He did, of course.

“You’ve heard it for a good reason. Get your ass in your gear, and meet me in the main arena in half an hour. You’re jumping today.” Levi left no time for a response before he had already left the room, leaving both Armin and Eren in various states of shock.

“I-I’d better go, then.” Eren said weakly.

“Good luck,” Armin responded, his voice not much stronger than Eren’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art:  
> [Foxydj12](http://www.foxydj12.tumblr.com) made some lovely art of Corporal, which can be found [here](http://rymdhingst.tumblr.com/post/111427640547/foxydj12-flying-lead-change-character-lance)!
> 
> Glossary:  
> No new terms for this chapter!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi's training methods are a bit odd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hej everyone! 
> 
> Oh man, I am so sorry for the late update. Things have been kinda rough, so I didn't have much time or motivation to write and cranking out this required much more work than it should've. I'll get another chapter out before next week to make up for it, though. For now, please forgive me and take this week late offering of a short and sloppy chapter. I had hoped to introduce a new horse... but Levi decided it wasn't time for that yet. I hope you enjoy it, regardless.
> 
> Also, we broke 2000?? Thank you all so much for reading this! I never expected to get above 500 hits, much less 2000! 
> 
> For updates, fanart, and more about this fic, please follow [rymdhingst](http://rymdhingst.tumblr.com) on tumblr! I'll be posting lots of fun things about the story there soon, so follow to keep updated!
> 
> My personal tumblr is [tinycaptainlevi](http://tinycaptainlevi.tumblr.com), so check out that blog as well! 
> 
> I track the tag fic: flying lead change and fic: flc as well as both of the urls, so leave things in those tags if you want me to see them!
> 
> I apologise for any spelling or grammar mistakes. Glossary and art can be found in the end notes. Once again, I'm sorry for skipping last week. I'll do better in the future!
> 
> Enjoy!

Eren made it only an hour into the lesson before Levi started to look irritated. It wasn't until after Eren had knocked his fifth pole that Levi said anything; he had been silent other than the occasional command up until then.

"Put Bat away and meet me on the cross country course." He snapped. The harsh edge of his voice indicated that he was still in instructor mode, which meant they were nowhere close to being finished.

"Do you want me to get Folly?" Eren asked. Bat wasn't a cross country horse, so it made sense that Levi wouldn't want him out there.

"No, just yourself, no horse."

"N-no horse?"

"Are your ears malfunctioning, kid? No horse."

Were they going to walk the course and bring Folly back later? He opened his mouth to ask, but was cut off almost immediately. "No more questions. Put the damn horse away and meet me outside."

"Y-yes sir!" Levi walked away without another word, leaving Eren to slide off the horse on his own. When his feet hit the ground, he wobbled only slightly. It was nowhere near as bad as last time, but he knew he would be a bit unstable for the rest of the day.

Eren returned to the crossties outside Bat's stall just as Sasha was walking up.

"Oh, hi! I thought you might have him." Her ponytail was messier than usual from the wind outside. It had calmed quite a bit, but there were occasional gusts that came close to knocking you off your feet.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, Levi said I should use him today. I hope that wasn't a problem."

"Nah! It's okay, Levi asked me about it earlier! He probably needed the exercise anyway." She came up beside Eren and patted Bat's neck fondly. "You got my saddle on him?"

Eren nodded as he knelt down to take off the gold splint boots.

"Oh, then you can just leave everything on him. I’ve got a jumping group today.” Sasha grinned wide. “How was he? Wasn’t too excited, right?”

“No, he was fine.” Eren stood up with a small pang of guilt when he remembered that he wasn’t supposed to jump Bat. He’d done it once before, and he’d nearly fallen off. Sasha had caught news of that incident, and claimed that “it was for his own good.” She didn’t want him to fall off and get hurt because of something he’d done on _her_ horse. Eren still wasn’t sure if she had said that out of concern for him, or the bay gelding in front of him.

When he had voiced this to Levi, he had only shrugged him off, saying that if he was with him, there shouldn’t be a problem. He’d spoken to Sasha earlier, and she had given permission for Eren to use him for the day--jumping and all. Despite that, Eren still felt that he had done something wrong. What if Levi had been lying?

“Hey…” Eren began slowly. “I jumped him a bit today, and I know you said you didn’t want me to do that, but Levi said it was okay and he even said he’d checked with you but I don’t know if he actually checked with you. I mean, I know he talked to you but I don’t know if he actually asked about the jumping parts so if you still didn’t want me to jump I’m sorry but he didn’t give me the chance to argue and-” Eren’s rambling was cut off mid-sentence when Sasha laughed. “Eren, it’s okay. I told him you could use Bat for jumping today. I figured that as long as someone who knew what they were doing was there to instruct you, you’d be fine! There’s too much…” She took a moment to search for the right word. “Liability if you jump alone on my horse. I don’t know the legal stuff but I could probably get in trouble if something happened to you while you’re alone. I’ve seen Levi on TV so I trusted he would know how to handle things!”

So, Levi hadn’t been lying. He really had asked Sasha, and she really had said it was okay. Eren suddenly felt much better. “Oh, okay. That’s good, then. Thanks, Sash.”

Eren knew Sasha from school. Even though she was a few months older than him, she had been in the same grade, and was one of the few people who talked to the weird new kid when he had first moved to Trost. She’d been accepted into a jumping program before Eren, but only because she was lucky enough to be a few months older than him. That, and she had a remarkable talent with horses that was the cause of much jealousy amongst a majority of the riders at the barn. Eren was sure she could approach any horse and have them instantly take a liking to her; it was like magic.

“No problem! How’d you like him? Isn’t he an _amazing_ jumper? He’s so different from when hes doing flat work!”

“Yeah, he is a lot different. I think he has more energy.

As if sensing that the two were talking about him, Bat dragged one hoof across the ground with a snort and shake of his head.

“Yes, handsome boy!” Sasha crooned. “You like jumping more than boring old flat work, don’t you?”

He continued to shake his head, making it look like he was agreeing with her. “You ready for some more jumping? Huh?” He snorted lightly and shoved his head at Sasha, who rubbed her hand up and down his wide face. His lower lip flopped and his eyes drooped when she reached up to scratch behind his ears. “Don’t fall asleep, you big dork! We’ve still got a whole lesson to do! Well, Eren, thanks for getting him ready for me! Good luck with Levi.” There was a wicked glint in her eye as she turned away to unhook the crossties.

“What do you mean?” Eren questioned suspiciously.

“Oh, you didn’t hear? You poor thing. All I can say is I hope you brought your tennis shoes today.”

“I-what? Sasha, wait!” Eren called as she pulled on her gloves as she walked away with Bat.

“Just go, Eren! You’ll see soon enough.”

What the hell was she talking about? Eren frowned as he put away Bat’s grooming kit and headed out to the cross country course. He was glad he’d worn his nice hoodie today, because it was a bit chillier than before outside. He shoved his hands into his pockets and picked his way carefully across the property towards the course. 

* * *

As soon as Eren approached Levi, a pair of running shoes was thrown at him. “Armin told me where they were. Put them on.”

“A-are these mine?” Eren held up the familiar pair of black and blue adidas. He had completely forgotten he’d left them here just in case he ever needed them.

“Yes, and they’re ugly as shit. Consider a new colour scheme, next time. Or possibly a brand that wouldn’t make something with such an offensive colour pattern.”

“They were cheap!” Eren protested. “And they work well enough so it doesn’t even matter what they look like.”

“Tch, sure. Just put them on.”

Eren flopped down on the grass and tugged off his Ariats in order to replace the black boots with the running shoes. He stood up awkwardly, unused to the feeling of wearing the shoes. He’d worn various types of boots for so long, he’d nearly forgotten the feel of any other kind of shoe.

“Um, what do you want me to do with these?” Eren held up his dusty boots, and Levi made a face. “Put them on the ground for now. You can take them back with you later. And I expect them to be cleaned for our next lesson. All that dirt is bad for the leather, and you look like a slob. If you’re going to train here, I expect you to look nicer, understand?”  
  
Eren decided it would be in his best interest to not mention that nearly no one here cleaned their paddock boots on a regular basis. The risk of angering Levi was too high. He was far too scary while in trainer mode.

“I understand.” Eren set his boots on the ground, making a mental note to be sure he didn’t forget them on the way back. “So um, what exactly are we doing?”

“You’re running the course.”

“You mean walking it?”

“No. I mean running it. You could have walked it with your boots on. You need to go through the course yourself before I allow you to jump it with a horse. Most of the jumps out here now are low enough for you to jump. Anything with a red flag on it, you can skip and go around.”

Eren’s mouth went dry and his stomach seemed to drop. “I’m… running the course? By myself. Like a horse.” He didn’t believe it. No one could be so absurd as to force someone to jump a course like a horse.

“I won’t force you to do it, but you’re going to have to make it at least halfway before you start cross country training.”

“But-” Eren began.

“Non. I’ve told you the conditions. It won’t do you any harm. I made sure all of the jumps are possible and safe. If I can make it over, so can you.”

Eren was nervous, but who wouldn’t be? The jumps were solid, and nothing would fall if he messed up. There was no safety net for him. It was windy, too, which would make the task even more difficult.

“The first jump is right there. It’s a log fence, Eren. Possibly one of the easiest jumps. It barely comes up to your knees. You’ll be fine.” Levi’s voice softened a touch as he reassured Eren.

“F-fine, I’ll do it.”

“Good. I’ll keep pace beside you. You’ll be running as far into the course as you can without stopping.” He held up a water bottle as he continued. “This is yours once you’ve gone as far as you can. I want you to push yourself. Riders need to be in shape, so this exercise has multiple purposes. You’re going to hurt, but you’re going to keep going.”

At the mention of hurt, all of Eren’s momentarily forgotten aches made themselves known. Levi seemed to have noticed the way Eren had winced at the thought. “You’re sore, but you’re running regardless. Cardio is important.”

“Yes, sir.” Eren stood tall with new motivation to make Levi proud of him. Running this course would be hell, but maybe it could be beneficial. Maybe if he did well enough, Levi would lessen up in his training, and make it a bit easier. All he had to do was prove himself through this course. Right, he could do that.

“Stretch yourself out and line up with the first obstacle.” Levi instructed once Eren had steeled his determination.

This was going to be fun.

* * *

He was forced to stop just after the halfway point. His legs were shaking, and he’d stumbled after landing the last corner. With heaving breaths, Eren bent over and braced his hands on his knees. Sweat had drenched his shirt, and he was sure he had blisters on his feet.

“I can’t go an further, Levi. I-I’m going to-” He feared he was going to throw up.

“You’re alright, kid.” Somehow, impossibly, Levi didn’t even seem to be out of breath. He had run next to Eren the whole time, shouting instructions and encouragements as he launched himself over jump after jump.

“You did good, you’re done. Take small sips of this; don’t gulp it all down, or you _will_ be sick. Walk around, let your body cool down. You wouldn’t put your horse away after that, so don’t do it to yourself.”

Eren nodded weakly and tried to control his urge to swallow the entire bottle of water in one go. It wasn’t cold, but he swore it was the best water he had ever tasted in his life. He started to sway, and his knees buckled, sending him crashing to the ground. He nearly collapsed completely, before Levi’s hands caught him for a second time, righting him back on his feet.

“Can you walk yourself without falling?” The look on Levi’s face was one of genuine concern.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." Eren coughed and wiggled away from Levi's grip. He could walk on his own; he wasn't that weak. He'd prove to Levi that he was stronger than he thought he was.

But as he took a step forward, his legs gave out the moment he put his weight on his foot. "Agh!" He shouted before he had time to think about what was happening. Levi caught him once again, and Eren started to wonder if it would become a regular thing.

"Tch, you obviously can't." Levi sounded annoyed, and Eren's heart sank. So, Levi was disappointed with him. That wasn't supposed to happen. His legs weren't supposed to give up on him. He was supposed to prove his strength; hadn't that been the whole point of this? Prove to Levi that he was worthy of training? He'd failed. He'd failed badly.

"Eren." Levi's voice was far too close to his ear, and Eren jumped. "Don't zone out so often, kid. You need to stay focused if you want to ride." Eren was suddenly all too aware of Levi's proximity.

"W-what were you saying?"

Levi gave a soft sigh. "Put your arm around me; I'll help you walk back. I'm not letting you face plant in the dirt because you're too stubborn to ask for help."

Eren felt a blush creep onto his face. "N-no, I can walk by myself." He took a deep breath, preparing himself before taking a shaky step forward.

Levi wasn't impressed. "Just let me help you, brat."

"No!" Eren continued to protest, despite knowing that he'd eventually have to give in. There's no way he could make it back on his own.

Levi's voice became deep and demanding, sending a shiver down Eren's spine when he spoke all too near to the shell of his ear. "Put your arm around me, now, or you won't be training with me anymore." Mindlessly, Eren looped his arm around the short man's shoulders while Levi reached to put his arm around Eren’s waist. He was warm and solid, and supported Eren’s weight easily. Their sides were pressed close together, and Eren hoped that Levi wouldn’t be able to feel the racing of his heart; and if he did, that he would mistake it as proof of the workout Eren just got.

“Drink a little more. We’ll keep it slow until you get your strength back and you can walk on your own.” They started off slowly down the hill, Levi pointing out uneven ground whenever it appeared. Eren didn’t want to let go. He really, really didn’t want to let go. His heart hadn’t slowed much, and it definitely didn’t match his breathing, which he was fighting to keep calm and steady.

Levi asked many times on the way back how Eren was doing. Each time, Eren answered that he was fine, despite the somersaults his stomach would do whenever Levi adjusted his grip. They battled the wind together, bracing against each other to stop themselves from being blown over. If Eren had to be honest, he would have to say that he wasn’t sure Levi would be able to stand on his own with the strong bursts of wind. He would likely be blown away into the trees. Perhaps their teamwork was actually of mutual benefit.

Inevitably, they made it back to the start of the course. “Drink a bit more water, and we’ll stretch out when we go back in. This damn wind is killing me. Grab your boots and get back over here. I’m in no mood to fly up into the sky today.”

Eren felt a thrill of excitement as he scooped up his boots and shakily jogged back to Levi. He was now in the awkward post-exercise stage, where you’re left feeling open and refreshed but still slightly shaky and unstable. In his haste, he ended up tripping over his own feet and colliding with Levi.

“Merde, kid. You’ve got shit balance. Maybe I shouldn’t be trusting you to keep me on my feet.”

Eren decided he would much rather have Levi swept off his feet. Not by the wind, but by Eren. Into a kiss. Swept off his feet into a kiss with Eren. _No._ Eren chided himself. _That is not happening. Not now, not ever. Pull yourself together, Eren. He just needs you to stop himself from flying up into the atmosphere._ He could make it back without shoving Levi against a tree and smashing their lips together, right? Right. He could do it. It was just a walk back, and it wasn’t like they had just spent the last thirty to forty minutes in the same position.

Eren settled his arm back around Levi’s shoulders, and the other man’s arm went back around Eren’s waist, making the problem in his pants a bit harder to control.

“You’re fucking heavy, brat. You know that?” Levi grunted when Eren leaned a little extra weight against him. 

“I am not!”

“Tch, yeah you are. You’d fucking crush me if you fell, so don’t even think about it.” The warning glare that Levi gave Eren was enough to send chills up his spine. “I wasn’t going to, sir!”

“I’m just making sure I’ll be alive to take a shit tomorrow morning.”

Eren nodded solemnly, and they walked the rest of the way back to the barn in silence. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art:  
> [Foxydj](http://foxydj12.tumblr.com) drew another horse! This time it's of Freckle, and it can be found [here](http://rymdhingst.tumblr.com/post/111817533812/foxydj12-flying-lead-change-that-freckled-joy)!  
> [Heichooblessu](http://heichooblessu.tumblr.com) also drew Corporal, which can be found [here](http://rymdhingst.tumblr.com/post/112756450667/heichooblessu-fanart-for-the-fic-flying-lead)!  
> Please go support the artists!
> 
> Glossary:  
> Ariats- A brand for horse things  
> Corner- Like [this.](http://etbjump.com/site/images/uploads/work/TriangleWrider425x260.jpgthis.) The one that Eren jumps is a lot smaller, though  
> Paddock Boots- The short boots [xx](http://cdnll.doversaddlery.com/images/xl/0038575.jpg)  
> Splint Boots- Protection for a horse's legs. [xx](http://www.lumber2.com/v/vspfiles/photos/EQ-SBDL-2.jpg)


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren looks at horses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I noticed I have a habit of rambling on in these notes... I'll try to be quick this time. 
> 
> I thought I was gonna be home in time to post this. I was not home in time to post this. I apologise. I haven't gone to bed yet, so technically it's still today. Shh. It's 1:30 am, so the editing is probably terrible. Please forgive any mistakes and let me know if you find any. 
> 
> Alriiight! Exciting chapter, in my opinion. I hope you all like it. Please leave comments, I still want to hear from everyone! Suggestions, predictions, criticisms, compliments... anything goes. Additionally, my tumblr is [tinycaptainlevi](http://tinycaptainlevi.tumblr.com), and the tumblr for this fic is [rymdhingst](http://rymdhingst.tumblr.com). Feel free to look at both those blogs, especially the rymdhingst one. Lots of cool stuff will be posted there. 
> 
> I track the tags fic: flying lead change and fic: flc, as well as both URLs. If you want me to see anything, leave it there!
> 
> Vocab is posted at the end^^

“Eren!” Armin called as Eren half stumbled into the barn after dropping off his things the next morning. He hadn't slept well after yesterday's training, due to the fact that he had been too sore to find a proper sleeping position.

“You ready to go?” He looked Eren up and down, seeming skeptical of his choice of clothing.

Eren looked down at himself, feeling self-conscious. Well, he had been half awake when he dressed this morning. Did he look bad? “Go where?”

Armin’s mouth dropped open. “Did you seriously forget?”

“Sorry, Arm. I’m too exhausted to remember anything right now.”

“I got half the day off for this, Eren! I would’ve thought you’d have remembered something as big as this. You were so excited yesterday!”

“I-I was?” Eren searched his memory, but couldn’t recall anything important. He needed to stop by the store for food, but he was positive that that wasn’t what Armin was so excited about. A trip to the grocery store was nothing to look forward to. “I’m sorry, I really got nothing.” Armin’s face fell slightly. “Eren, I can’t believe you actually forgot about this!”

“Forgot about what?!” If no one was going to tell him what he was missing, then what was the point?

“You’re going to look at your first horse, kid.” Levi spoke up from behind him, making him jump with the sudden appearance. "Jesus Christ, Levi! Please give me some sort of warning next time."

"Tch, pay attention next time." Levi crossed his arms and it seemed that he was now part of their conversation.

After he had recovered from the scare, Eren had to take a moment to process that thought. “Oh, shit!” He exclaimed. “I’m going to go look at a horse! And you!” He looked at Armin. “You got half the day off for it! So you get to come with!”

Armin sighed, but smiled regardless. “Yes, Eren. I’m glad you’ve caught on. And good morning, Levi!”

"Bonjour, Armin." 

“Hey, I ran the cross country course on my own two feet yesterday and I'm tired, so give me a break!”

Armin snorted, but his eyes went wide when he realised Eren wasn’t joking. “Did you actually?”

“Yes, he did actually.” Levi answered for him. “It’s a requirement for training with me, just like owning your own horse is. So hurry the fuck up and let’s go. Eren's later than normal today, so we're probably going to be late.” Eren blushed, embarrassed and slightly angered. He wasn't that late! Sure, he should have been here 10 minutes ago, but most days he was on time, and sometimes he was even early! Maybe he'd pissed Levi off somehow yesterday. Maybe he'd been too touchy yesterday, maybe the walk back from the course hadn't been as enjoyable for him. What if his deadweight act had been too much for him to handle and he was going to hold a grudge against him for it? 

Oh god, he was so--

Levi’s arm brushed against Eren’s as he passed by him, effectively waving off any doubts Eren had in only a matter of seconds while he walked towards the other end of the barn. The tingle of feeling that spread through Eren’s body seemed to clear his mind. No, Levi had initiated the contact on the way back. Eren would’ve been able to walk fine, but Levi still had insisted that they walk with their arms around each other. It was in the past, and there was no point in worrying about it now. 

Eren trailed after Levi as he spoke.“We’re going to be late; Erwin’s likely already waiting for us. Eren, go change into something more appropriate. You’ll be riding, so put on a nice pair of breeches and your boots. Armin will get your helmet and gloves, and we’ll meet at the truck. You have five minutes.”

Armin nodded quickly and hurried off to find Eren’s gear, and Eren barely restrained from saluting Levi before practically sprinting to the observatory to find his backpack and hopefully a clean pair of breeches. Levi seemed to be all about appearances, so he wouldn’t be pleased if Eren returned wearing dusty and mud splattered breeches.

Thankfully, Eren had a pair stashed in his backpack. He took a quick look around to make sure there really was no one in the room and shimmied out of his jeans to slip into the stretchy pants. He nearly face planted when his feet got caught, but saved himself just in time. He slipped into his boots without tying them and grabbed his phone and wallet before sprinting back out to the parking lot.

Levi was leaning against the door of a truck, tapping at something on his phone. Armin stood nearby, holding a helmet bag. He was standing awkwardly and staring at the ground, but perked up when Eren neared. “You good?” Eren nodded and took the bag from him.

Levi looked up with a look of indifference. “Eighty seconds to spare, not bad.” He pocked his phone and pulled out a pair of keys. “Erwin’s meeting us there. Pixis is staying here, but he’s already met the horse. He’s approved to stay here if he fits you.” 

He pulled his phone back out and frowned at it. “Erwin’s lined up three other viewings today, Jesus fuck. I hope you don’t have plans tonight, kid. We’re going to be a long time.”  
“No, it’s fine! I’ll just let Mikasa know I might be home late tonight.”

Levi put his phone away and turned towards the car door. He was dwarfed by the huge truck, and Eren wasn’t sure he was entirely capable of driving it.

“Figure out who sits up front. I’m not a fucking taxi driver, so I don’t want both of you sitting in the back.”

“O-oh, Eren can have it! I’m fine in the back.” Armin spoke up.

“You sure?” Eren definitely didn’t want to sit in the back, but he didn’t want them to know that.

“Yeah, you know Levi better, so it’s best I stay in the back so things don’t get too awkward.” He gave a nervous laugh and reached up to grab at the back of his hair, an old nervous habit of his.

“Just get in the damn car.” Levi griped as he quite literally climbed into the cab. Eren gave a grateful smile to Armin before rounding the front of the truck and got in the passenger’s seat.

The interior was clean, but Levi made a face as he buckled his seat belt.

“What?” Eren asked curiously as he handed his helmet bag back to Armin. There wasn’t much room for it up front, so it got a special seat in the back.

“It’s filthy in here.” A faint frown was on Levi’s face as he surveyed the interior.

“Uh, I thought it was actually pretty clean.”

Levi snorted. “And that’s why you’re not cleaning up after Corporal. If this is your idea of clean, I don’t want to see your handiwork on his tack.”

Eren turned forward and pouted while Levi started the truck and backed out of the parking spot onto the driveway.

“Where did you guys find the horses?”

“There’s always horses for sale. And we’ve been in the business long enough that we know where to look for the good ones. Price isn’t an issue here, so it opens up a lot more options for us. You won’t be riding some run of the mill school horse, no. You want to be an eventer, so you’re going to get an eventing horse.”

Excitement ran through Eren, causing him to shift in his seat. “How far away is the first one?”

“Twenty minutes.”

“Is there anything you can tell me about it?”

“Tch, I suppose so. He’s the youngest of the ones we’re visiting, and he’s going to need a good bit of training. We wouldn’t be able to do much with him right away, but in time I believe he’ll make the perfect eventer. I like him, but it depends on whether or not you’re willing to put forth the effort to train him. It’s going to be constant work, and it won’t be easy, either. Consider that while we’re looking at him. Erwin and I have already approved him, so everything is up to you.”

“It’s only been a few days, though!” How had they already looked at horses?

“And?” 

“There’s no way you could have found so many so fast.”

“People are quick to sell to Erwin Smith and Dot Pixis. Their horses training at Wings of Freedom is good for their reputation, so they offer up their best whenever they’re searching.”

Eren had no more questions to ask, and they were silent until Levi rolled up to a gate. “I can’t reach the damn keypad.” Levi didn’t even bother to roll down the window or open his door. “Armin, the passcode is 3425.” Armin got out to punch in the numbers, and the gate slowly swung open.

Erwin waved them over as they got out of the car.

“He’s just right in here. You got your helmet, right?” Eren nodded as he took it out of the bag. “Right here, sir!”

“And your gloves?”

“Yep!”

“Good.” They followed Erwin into the barn. Eren’s heart was beating out of his chest. He was about to see a horse that could end up being his; the first horse that would actually be his. No more family horses, lesson horses, or shared horses. This one could be completely and entirely his.

“He’s not tacked up or anything yet. We figured it’d be best if you handled that, seeing as he might end up being your horse. You need to get a good feel of him, and decide if he’s really going to work with you. Don’t rush into any decisions, we’ve still got three more to look at today. Consider every interaction you have with him. He’s a bit wild, so he may not be the horse for you, understand?”

Erwin had paused in the doorway of the barn to give his lecture.

“I understand, sir.” Eren was practically bouncing as Erwin gave a smile and turned to point at a stall. “He’s right in there. Like I said, he can be a bit wild, so please be careful. His halter and lead are on the hook to the left of the door. Put your helmet on, just to be safe, alright?” Eren nodded firmly and buckled on his helmet. He made sure the straps were snug before heading towards the stall, heart in his throat.

He avoided peering into the stall until he was right in front of the door. At the sounds of his arrival, the horse’s head shot up, nostrils flaring.

Eren’s breath caught in his throat as he took in the sight. The horse was definitely bigger than Bat, but not much smaller than Folly. He was likely around 16 hands, and his dark bay coat was shining even in the soft light filtering in through the door leading to the run. The beast regarded him with sharp brown eyes as he grabbed the halter and slowly slid the door open wide enough that he could slip in and out, but small enough that the horse wouldn’t be able to.

“Hey…” Eren spoke softly, holding out the back of his hand so the horse could see him coming. “I’m gonna get you ready to ride, alright?” He almost managed to drape the lead rope over his shining neck before the bay decided he would rather not have that happen. Eren jumped back as he gave a small buck and trotted out of the stall and into his run before peering back inside to regard Eren once more.

Eren was startled, but he was determined to not let the horse get the best of him. “Hey, c’mon, don’t you want to go for a ride? I promise it’ll be fun. You can get groomed, too. Not that you really need it, but why don’t we just give it a try?”

Eren held out his hand once again, hoping it would be interesting enough to tempt the horse back into the stall. It took a few minutes, but he eventually took a few lumbering steps towards Eren. “There you go… was that so hard?” Eren wished he had brought a treat with him; it would have made this much easier. He usually didn’t have a problem catching horses in their stalls, but he supposed this just happened to be a special case. It was a new horse, after all, and Erwin had warned him that he could be wild.

With a lot of quiet talking and a lot of patience, Eren eventually got the halter on the horse. He seemed to be personally offended that someone like Eren had managed to defeat him, and exhaled loudly as Eren reached up to stroke the white star between his eyes.

“Hey, you aren’t that wild, are you? Nah, you’re just stubborn. I would prefer you don’t be stubborn while I get you tacked up, though. Wasting twenty minutes on just getting a bit into your mouth wouldn’t be fun for either of us.”

Eren shouldered the stall door completely open and gave a click of his tongue to see if the horse would respond. Not surprisingly, he didn’t, so Eren gave a small tug of the lead. The stud chain tightened, but the horse didn’t move.

Eren clicked his tongue again and tugged a bit harder. Grudgingly, the horse gave in and followed Eren out of the stall.

“Hm, impressive,” Was the first thing Eren heard as he snapped the crossties onto the halter. “You made it out in less than fifteen minutes. I must admit, I wasn’t expecting that. It took this old man over thirty minutes and far too many treats to lure him out.”

Eren was surprised. “Erwin? Really?”

The blonde chuckled and shrugged. “He’s incredibly stubborn. I, too, am surprised you got him out so quickly. I suppose you passed the first test.”  
“There’s tests?” Eren asked in a panic.

“Well, not really.” Erwin assured him when he noticed Eren’s panic. “But, in a way, yes. We need to make sure you can work with him, so if anything goes too wrong, I’ll be sure to take note of it. Don’t worry, Eren. The decision is up to you, and the final say is yours. We’re just here to provide input, and I’d say you’re doing very well with him so far. Wouldn’t you agree, Levi?” 

“As well as a brat can do.”

During the entirety of the exchange, Armin had been staring at the bay with his mouth half open.

“Hey Arm, you’re going to catch flies if you stay like that.” Eren joked.

“Sorry! He’s just so beautiful!” The horse shook his head at that moment, as if to show off exactly how good looking he was. “What’s his name?”

“I uh, I don’t know? No one told me.”

“Oh, right. We went off to get his papers.” Erwin held up a packet. “I can read you a bit about him while you groom, if you’d like.”

“Oh, yes please!”

Erwin smiled and pulled the papers out. “Okay, let’s see…” He shuffled through the papers, looking for a specific one, but was interrupted by his phone.

“Oh, I have to take this one.” He handed the papers to Levi, forcing him to uncross his arms. “You read them, I’ll be a while. Sorry, Eren! I’ll be back.”

Eren accepted a grooming box from Armin, and picked out a simple curry comb. He worked it in circles over the dark brown fur, loosening hairs and non-existent dirt.  
Levi flipped through the papers with a faint crease between his eyebrows.

“Alright kid, I’ll tell you the basics. I don’t think you give a shit who his sire and dam are, but if you really care, you can look for yourself later.”

Levi spoke quietly and calmly, and the horse under Eren’s brush almost seemed to relax as much as Eren did.

“Five year old 16.3 hand dark bay Zweibrücker gelding. No leg markings, obviously, but he does have a star. You’d be an idiot if you hadn’t noticed that. Show name, Rogue Titan. Barn name, Rogue. He came here straight from Germany, and has had only basic training. He was gelded late, so he’s on the wild side, and doesn’t like to listen to instruction. He’ll need a strong rider, one who isn’t fearful in the saddle. Both on and off the ground, he’ll need a firm hand. You can’t be afraid to challenge him, and he’ll back down when he realises he’s not going to have an easy win. Smooth gaits, steady footing, and strong build. He was definitely bred well. He responds well in the saddle, but only once he’s had his time to calm down. Soft mouth, too. Good temperament overall, if you can handle the energy he’s got. Stud chain is recommended, but not necessary at all times…” Levi flipped through the pages, seemingly bored at the information he was reading.

“This is shit, it gives you almost no backstory on him. That’s all I’ve got, kid. Is he clean?”

Eren gave up on getting Rogue to pick up his hoof for cleaning and assumed it was probably impeccably clean as well. “Honestly, sir, I think he was already clean before we got here.”

“Doesn’t matter, you’re required to groom before you tack up. It’s a good habit.”

“Yes, sir.” Armin had drifted towards Rogue while Levi had been talking, and was stroking his velvety nose while Eren worked on putting the grooming kit away. Armin seemed to have a gift with horses, as they were always calmer when he was around them. “You’re such a good boy!” He cooed to the gelding. “Be good for Eren, okay? He’ll be good for you, too, hopefully. He’s a good rider so you’ll be okay! Just don’t throw him off; otherwise I won’t be as friendly next time.”

Eren watched a look of horror cross his best friends face when he realised what his words could imply. He put his hands up in front of him, and Rogue looked offended at Armin’s lack of attention. “I don’t mean I’m going to hit you!” A slight squeak had crept into his voice. “I just mean that I won’t be as friendly, that’s all! No double meaning!” He reached around to pat his neck and the horse looked satisfied once again. “I would never hurt you, or any other horse. I promise!”

“It’s okay, Armin. I don’t think he’s offended, he’d probably forgive you if he was, though. We all knew what you meant.”

“Oh god, it came out so wrong! It sounded like I was going to beat him if he didn’t behave!”

“Armin, please calm down and help Eren tack up. We’re running short on time.”

Eren snorted, about to make a snide remark about shortness, but was cut off by a stern glare from Levi.

“Don’t fucking say anything, Jaeger. His tack’s in there, labelled with his name. You’ll find it quickly enough.”

Armin gave Rogue one last pat before following Eren into the small room. Eren tackled the saddle and blankets, and Armin grabbed the bridle and splint boots. The pair approached Rogue carefully, unsure of how he’d react to the presence of tack. He didn’t seem particularly bothered, and stood still while Armin carefully arranged the blankets and pads on his back.

Levi watched with a cautious eye, ready to jump in and help if something went wrong. Erwin’s voice drifted in from outside; he was arguing about something. Other than that, it was relatively quiet and peaceful. There was nothing to startle Rogue, and Eren briefly wondered where his current owner was at.

He stood perfectly still while Eren lifted on the saddle and tightened the girth, which was surprising. Most horses Eren had worked with had a dislike of the girth being tightened, and Rogue seemed like the type that would have been at least slightly antsy during it, and yet he had had no reaction. Not even a shifting of weight.

Feeling good about how things were going, Eren crouched down to fasten the splint boots on. He didn’t expect to be doing any work that would cause Rogue to clip his own legs, but he could also be one of those horses who were at risk when excited. Eren figured it would be better safe than sorry, and he closed the Velcro straps with no issues.

“He’s doing really well with tacking up.” Armin sounded awed. “Yeah!” Eren agreed enthusiastically. “He’s much better than most the horses at the barn. He’s almost as good as Corporal, I’d say.”

Levi snorted. “Yeah, right. No horse is as good as Corporal. He’s perfectly well behaved, so long as I’m the one telling him what to do.” Eren recognised the vaguely proud look on Levi’s face. It always appeared when he spoke about Corporal, and Eren found it almost endearing. He really loved that stupid horse.

“Sorry, sir. Didn’t mean to offend you. Of course no horse could _ever_ beat Corporal!” Levi scoweled at Eren’s comment, and the boy just smirked, mismatched eyes glinting with amusement as he stood up. “He’ll pass the bridle test, and then we’ll all see who the superior horse is.”

Eren undid the buckles holding the bridle wrapped into a neat bundle and inspected the bit to make sure it was clean. It was, of course. The rest of the tacking up had gone perfectly smooth, and Eren was feeling confident that Rogue would accept the bridle with no issue.

He had never been more wrong.

The moment Eren moved to stand beside Rogue’s head, he threw his head up, far out of Eren’s reach. Levi snorted with barely contained laughter as Eren struggled to bring the horse’s head back down. Obviously, Rogue was having none of this bridle business today. He kept his head up for an impressive amount of time, and only dropped it down for a few teasing seconds before raising it high over Eren’s head once again.

Even with Armin’s gentle coaxing and Levi’s reluctant offering of treats, Rogue refused to have even the reins slipped over his head. He was stubborn, but Eren had a determination that challenged the creature’s. “Oh, it’s on.” Eren challenged after a few minutes of struggling. “You’re wearing this bridle whether you like it or not, and I’m not leaving until you have this thing on.” Eren turned his back, pretending to ignore Rogue. A few seconds passed, but eventually Eren heard the soft clinking of metal on metal as the gelding lowered his head to peek at Eren cautiously. When he felt a nose gently prod at his back, Eren spun around and made to throw the reins over his head.  
No such luck. Eren cursed and Levi snorted again. Armin made no noise, and simply watched as Eren battled it out with a horse.

“Superior horse, huh?” Levi commented. “Let me know how that goes.”

* * *

Five minutes later, Eren still hadn’t succeeded, and Erwin had returned to join the crowd to enjoy Eren’s struggles. He’d offered to help, but Eren had refused, insisting that he needed to be the one to do this. He needed to prove to himself and to the horse that he could do this, and that he was in charge of things. He was going to win.  
Erwin had shrugged in response and stepped back to stand beside Levi.

Another five minutes passed before Eren was able to get the reins over his head, and it took another ten to get the bit in his mouth. Eren’s fingers were slimy with horse saliva from shoving them into the corners of Rogue’s mouth, but once the bit was in, he calmed right down—no fighting, shifting, or head shaking. He even went so far as to drop his head down lower while Eren adjusted and buckled the straps.

The entire bridle endeavour took nearly forty minutes, which was actually rather ridiculous. But Eren had won, and Rogue was perfectly well behaved, walking calmly alongside Eren towards the large outdoor arena Erwin had directed them to.

Armin closed the arena gate behind Eren, and he walked to the mounting block to check his girth and stirrups one last time. It was time to see what Rogue Titan was really like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art:  
> No art for this chapter! I still haven't gotten around to scanning what I do have...
> 
> Glossary:  
> (note: if you stick your fingers into the corner of a horses mouth and wiggle them around a bit, it works well in getting the horse to open their mouth for the bit)  
> Breeches- Pants for riding. They've got patches on the inside of the knees and sometimes the butt as well that help with gripping the saddle. Eren's were both black.  
> Dark Bay- [xx](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/c5/64/5b/c5645bb48c1c240c4b2f6c12489a977d.jpg) (Rogue's colouring)  
> Girth- Horse belt, basically. Its what holds the saddle on. [xx](http://www.24hourhorse.co.uk/catalog/images/GFS-Extra-HumaneAtherstoneGirth.jpg)  
> Star- A white facial marking on the forehead between the eyes. [xx](http://www.theequinest.com/images/star-2.jpg)  
> Stud Chain- Used to help control an unruly horse on the ground while it's being led. [xx](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-06c0vc_YdJc/TxNUNws6FMI/AAAAAAAAAms/WOY_1mSgIgk/s1600/Stud-Chain-02.png)


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren rides Rogue for the first time, but things don't go as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when I said the update schedule would be tentative? Here's more proof of that. Please forgive me.
> 
> I wanted to get something out by Eren's birthday, and I guess I more or less succeeded! Happy birthday, Eren Jaeger, you angry nugget. 
> 
> Holy shit 3000 hits?? Thank you all so much!! I can't express how much that means to me, especially since we hit 2000 not too long ago. Please leave comments down below, I love talking to everyone^
> 
> Thanks to [Racy](http://racy-riren.tumblr.com) for keeping me motivated and assuring me that the beginning of this chapter was not as shit as I thought it was. I probably wouldn't have finished this without her. 
> 
> Sorry for the rough editing. Let me know if I missed anything!
> 
> Find me [here](http://tinycaptainlevi.tumblr.com)  
> Find the fic's tumblr [here](http://rymdhingst.tumblr.com)  
> For little "fact files" on the horses we've been introduced to, click [here!](http://rymdhingst.tumblr.com/files) I'll be updating it as we meet new horses^^

Levi, being Eren's trainer, had taken up a position on the railing near the gate. He was just barely tall enough to see over the rail, but leaned against it nonetheless. Erwin, on the other hand, was plenty tall enough, and was resting his forearms on the top rail. With one foot propped up on the bottom rail, Eren found himself questioning how he had ever preferred girls.  

Armin lingered behind them, but eventually made up his mind and took a seat on the bench just to the side of the two trainers. Noticing Eren was watching, blue eyes met gold and turquoise with a firm look of encouragement. Eren gave a nod of acknowledgment and nudged the mounting block towards Rogue. 

The bay didn't seem particularly bothered by the bright blue stool. "Good boy, I'm gonna check the stirrups, now. Don't be alarmed." Eren found himself explaining everything he was doing to the horse as he made sure everything was the right length and securely tightened. 

Eren readied himself for Rogue to throw his head up when he moved to throw the reins over his head. Surprisingly, the gelding hardly moved, and the reins landed near his withers with no more than a twitch of an ear. 

"Ah, good boy!" Eren praised, patting his neck. He swung cleanly into the saddle, and was pleased to find that he had been exactly right with his stirrup lengths. 

Eren gathered the reins and clucked his tongue, testing what commands he was trained to. It seemed that he wasn't perfectly trained to verbal cues, because he didn't start confidently forward until Eren gave the slightest nudge of his heels. 

"Good boy!" Eren praised, letting his hips relax and flow with the horse's stride. They walked a few laps before cutting across the arena and heading in the other direction. The wind seemed to have finally died down, leaving only a slight breeze that Eren found rather peaceful. 

Apart from their little group, the property was relatively empty. No one walked or rode by as Eren took Rogue through his paces, testing how he rode and how he responded. Overall, Eren was pleased, and when Levi called out asking how he felt, Eren had given a big smile and a thumbs up. Rogue was a perfect mount; his gaits were smooth and easy, and he responded well to all commands Eren gave. He required only the slightest twitch of the hand or nudge of the heel to change directions or gaits, and Eren was grateful, for most the horses he'd ridden required a more than just a flick of the fingers to align perfectly with the rail. 

After a while, Levi motioned for Eren to stop at the middle of the arena. 

"Eren, do you feel comfortable jumping Rogue?" 

"Yes." 

"Are you positive? Have you recovered from our training earlier today?" 

"Yes, sir!" 

Levi gave a nod, satisfied with his answer. "Good. I'm going to set up a few small jumps. I'll coach you over them, like normal, but I want you to stop if you feel unsure or unsafe at any given moment, understood?" 

"Yes, sir! If I don't feel safe, I won't jump." 

Eren backed Rogue up, seeing how he would respond. When he had calmly taken three steps back, Eren stopped him, feeling satisfied. So far, he'd surpassed every standard Eren had set for his future horse. Apart from the bridle mishap, he seemed to be perfect. The two stood quietly in place while Levi dragged a few jumps into position, fiddling with the rails until they were just the right height. 

They weren't anything special, just a few low cross rails that Eren had jumped hundreds of times. 

Levi stepped back into the centre and patted Rogue once when he shoved his head at the shorter man. "How are your stirrups? Girth?" 

Eren reached down to check, confirming that both were in good condition. "All set, sir!" 

"Now, these are jumps I know you can jump easily, but you're on a new and unpredictable horse. We don't know the extent of his behaviour yet, so we're going to take things slow. And fix your posture, it's atrocious." 

Eren gathered up his reins and straightened his back, pushing his heels down and making sure his toes were out, with legs properly in line. 

Satisfied, Levi continued, "Trot the poles down the middle, then go left and take the jump in the middle of the rail if you're comfortable. If you make it over, try the jump on the other side. Go whenever you're ready."

Eren took a deep breath and double checked his grip on the reins; everything seemed to be in good order. With a click and a nudge, he settled into an easy posting trot. As the poles approached, Eren stood in two point, giving small bumps with his heels to encourage Rogue from stopping. They trotted cleanly over the poles, and there were no clicks or thunks to indicate that they had clipped the poles. Eren transitioned back into a post and turned left towards the first jump, as Levi had instructed. 

"Push him forward, Eren! Don't let him stop!" Levi called when Rogue's step began to falter and slow as they neared the jump. Eren reached forward and grabbed a handful of mane, just in case the jump didn't go as well as planned. He used ever cue he knew of to keep Rogue going; voice, seat, legs, reins, and anything else he could think of. Perhaps it was a bit overkill, but he would rather risk that than risk being thrown off due to a sudden stop or bad jump. The jump grew closer and closer, and neither trainer nor rider was sure if the horse would decide to make it over or not. 

Eren braced himself for a fall just as Rogue launched over the jump at the very last second, throwing Eren off balance. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Levi cross his arms, but missed the sigh of relief he had given as his face instantly relaxed when Eren remained in the saddle. 

“Good, Eren! Do you feel comfortable with the next jump? If you’re not completely comfortable, do not jump it. I’m not dealing with a broken arm just because you felt some weird need to prove yourself or some shit!”

“No, sir! I’m ready!” Eren was a bit more cautious with jumping it at a canter, but he was determined to make it over. He reached forward and grabbed mane once again as Rogue cantered smoothly along the short rail and turned the corner back onto a long rail. The rider on his back steeled his nerves, prepared for anything the horse could possibly throw at him.

“Push him forward, Eren! Keep him going!” Levi’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was firm. “Don’t let him falter, make him jump at the right time.”  Eren paid close attention to Rogue’s stride, making sure his steps weren’t changing. If he noticed even the slightest chance of a faltering stride, Eren would tap his heels against Rogue’s sides just to ensure he would keep going.

“Good, Eren, good. Do not let him stop—don’t even let him slow.”

The jump was fast approaching, and Eren’s heart sped up in anticipation. He was going to make it! In his moment of bravery, Eren let go of his handful of mane, and locked his eyes straight ahead; to where he wanted to land. Leaning forward over the powerful neck of the creature beneath him, he kept his eyes locked ahead, completely ready for the jump.

It appeared that Rogue had not been ready for the jump.

At the very last second, he slammed on the brakes, sending Eren flying over his neck and onto the ground. Armin had leapt to his feet, and Erwin was already making his way towards the gate when Eren’s helmeted head connected with the ground with a sound that never lead to good news.

* * *

Levi knew it was coming; he could see it. He knew Eren was going to fall, but it was too late to stop it. There was nothing he could have done to prevent it.

That was a lie. He could have stopped it. He should have _known_ after the first jump that he wouldn’t be okay for the second jump. He was the trainer, it was his responsibility to make sure that his rider was okay. It was his job to make sure that Eren wouldn’t get hurt, and that he was riding safely and correctly. He had failed in his job.

He watched Eren pitch forward over Rogue’s neck in slow motion. Levi was frozen in place, and his mind was blank. It wasn’t until a few seconds after Eren had hit the ground that Levi leapt into motion, heart in his throat. The sound of his helmet hitting the sand should not have been that loud. Eren still hadn’t moved.

Levi ran across the arena, knowing how desperate he looked. At this moment, he didn’t care. His only focus was on getting to Eren as fast as he could. He hoped to god Erwin was too occupied catching Rogue to tease him for it later, and Armin was too much in shock to pick up on what Levi was doing.

He wouldn't let him get this horse. There was no way he was spending his money on that horse. Not after what had just happened; not knowing what could happen frequently in the future. He wasn't going to take another risk by letting Eren own this horse. He refused.

He fell to his knees next to Eren, hoping that he would have at least stirred by now. Cautiously, he reached out one hand and placed it on Eren’s chest. He could feel his heart beating through his sweatshirt. “Oh, thank god.” Levi breathed. But, the fact that Levi could feel his heartbeat meant he hadn’t been wearing a chest guard; what if that made his injuries worse? He wouldn’t be able to stand it if Eren had been seriously injured. He’d hate himself for the rest of his life, because it would have been due to his own carelessness.

Erwin had warned him just yesterday that he shouldn’t go for Eren. He wasn’t 18 yet, and that was against the law. Levi hadn’t had much to argue against that with, but he had warned Erwin that if Eren approached him, he wouldn’t be turning him down so quickly. He’d ended up promising Erwin that he wouldn’t do anything, but he knew that he wasn’t going to be able to suppress his feelings for the boy for much longer, especially after this.

But, if Levi knew one thing, it was how to care for someone who had been knocked out. He’d dealt with plenty of accidents like this when he had been younger. The most important thing was to avoid moving them as much as possible, in case there was a neck injury. The only times they needed to be moved were in instances of unsafe circumstances or need for self-care, rather than that of professionals. In this case, Eren wasn’t in any danger, and he knew they’d have immediate access to emergency care. He’d be able to handle this.

Besides, Eren would wake up soon. He wouldn’t stay out for long. He’d wake up, and be able to walk this off. Yet, Eren remained unmoving, breathing shallowly. Levi’s breath sped up. It had been roughly 30 seconds, and he still hadn’t woken up. A fall like this shouldn’t knock him out for much longer, especially considering he had been wearing his helmet and had landed on relatively soft ground.

Panic had started to set in. Levi didn’t like panic. It made things messy and confusing. He couldn’t think, he couldn’t breathe. He needed to calm down. He grabbed Eren’s hand tightly in his, hoping it would provide some sort of anchor. If Eren woke up while he was clutching onto his hand for dear life, Levi hoped he wouldn’t be too weirded out. And if he was lucky, Eren would forget the whole thing by the next day.

“Eren? Can you hear me?” He didn’t even get a twitch in response.

“Eren! Do something, anything, if you can hear me.” He watched the boy’s face carefully. Nothing.

He looked up to see that Erwin and Armin had already caught Rogue. He was standing calmly beside Erwin, not seeming particularly bothered or worried by the situation. The tall blonde’s eyebrows were furrowed with worry, watching Levi with understanding eyes. He wouldn’t interrupt him until necessary.

Armin was standing just next to him, looking like a frightened child. His blue eyes were wide with fear, but were trained directly on Levi with a look he couldn’t quite understand. He knew. He had at least an idea of what Levi felt, and he was choosing to give him space instead of running to his best friend.

Levi looked away quickly, feeling uncomfortable.

He took a deep breath and looked back at Eren, who still had yet to show signs of waking.

“Eren, please.” He whispered, hoping the wind would cover the sound of his voice. “Please, Eren.”

“Wake up, and be okay. I um, I need you to be okay.” His face flushed red at the words, feeling like an idiot. Maybe, just maybe, the words would get through to Eren and wake him up.

“Eren, wake up!” His grip on his hand tightened. “Eren!”

Armin’s voice shouted back, sounding just as desperate to wake up his friend. “Eren!”

Levi shut his eyes tight, trying to block things out. They were going to have to call an ambulance. He’d already been out for too long. He just hoped it hadn’t been so long that there would be permanent damage.

* * *

After Erwin finally called, Levi bowed his head down, not caring about the way the wind would occasionally blow his hair across his eyes. He spoke softly to Eren in French, hoping the flowing language would help the boy wake up. He didn’t speak loud, but knew that if anyone overheard him, he would be well and truly fucked.

* * *

Everything was black. Everything sounded fuzzy, and no words were cutting through the haze in Eren’s mind. But someone… someone was saying something. They sounded… panicked? Why? Eren felt fine. It was nice, actually; lying down. He was so tired from the night before, that it was nice to take a break and just rest for a moment. It was dark and mostly quiet, and he was content. 

“Eren!” Someone shouted, their voice cutting clear through the shroud of muffled silence. A higher voice came next, shouting the same thing, “Eren!” What did they want?

“Erwin, he’s been out for over a minute already. Call an ambulance.”  
  
That was Levi’s voice. It was close to his ear, but Erwin’s seemed to be further away when he answered.

“He’s waking up, Levi. I don’t think he can afford a trip in an ambulance, we’ll take him ourselves.”

“I’ll pay for the damn thing, just call one!” There was no response. “Dammit, Erwin, just call him a fucking ambulance!”

“Armin, please take Rogue. You can stay here if you’d like, but I think it’d be best if you put him away. What would you like to do?”

“I-I’d like to stay, please, sir.”

“Understandable.”

Gradually, Eren woke up. He could hear Erwin talking calmly yet firmly on the phone, and someone’s hands were wrapped around his.

Blinking his eyes open slowly, the first thing he focused on was Levi’s face. His eyes were closed tightly and his head was bowed, hair falling in front of his eyes. He hadn’t yet noticed that Eren was awake, and the multi coloured eyes took their chance to take in every detail of the man kneeling next to them. They traced over the sharp lines of his jaw, the perfect eyebrows and the crease currently wrinkling the smooth skin between them more than usual, the way his hair fell, the way his eyes were moving under pale eyelids, and finally, the perfect pink lips that were muttering rapid French. The only word Eren was able to recognise was “merde” and he had a feeling whatever Levi was saying, it was full of similar words. For months those lips had teased Eren, and he wanted nothing more than to sit up and kiss them; end the barely formed curses falling from them. Kiss them and make them swollen and red from the passion, the bites, the—Eren was still fantasising when Levi’s eyes opened, staring straight at him.

Embarrassed that he had been caught staring so intently at the other man’s lips, Eren slowly raised his eyes up to meet Levi’s. Levi’s gaze was unwavering, and Eren found himself unable to look up at him any longer. The emotions shining through in Levi’s eyes were too much for him to handle, and he dropped his eyes back to the ground. However, the cool grey eyes remained on Eren’s face. Warm hands were still clamped around his clammy one as the brunette used his free arm to push himself up. A pain shot through his head, but he pushed himself up on a shaking arm nonetheless. Before he could get all the way up, the warm hands left his and he was pushed back to the ground. With one hand Levi had pushed Eren’s shoulders back to the ground, and the other was cradling his still-helmeted head gently.

“Don’t get up.” His voice was gruffer than normal. “You don’t know how bad you’re hurt yet. There could be head trauma. Just stay down, Eren. Erwin’s called an ambulance.”  
Eren didn’t want to stay down. He needed to know what had happened and if everyone else was okay. “W-where’s Armin? Where’s the horse? Is he okay?”

“Rogue is fine. I don’t think we’ll be getting him, though. I won’t let you take this risk again. Armin’s with him, he’s fine. Just lie still and wait. Would you like Armin to come over here?”

“Y-yeah…” Eren didn’t fail to notice that ever since Levi had let go of his hands, he hadn’t yet looked Eren in the eye again. He looked up, sweeping his dark hair away from his eyes and addressing Armin.

“Give the horse back to Erwin, he’ll put him away. Eren wants you.”

There was a muffled squeak, and Armin was next to Eren in seconds. “Eren!” He cried in relief. “Are you okay? How do you feel? Do you know where you are? Who am I? Who is he? What day is it?” He fired question after question at Eren, who weakly raised his arms in defence against his words. “Arm, please slow down. I can’t process all that at once. I’m fine, mostly. But Levi won’t let me sit up.”

“Good! He damn well won’t!” Eren was shocked to hear his normally soft-spoken friend curse. “Now answer the questions. Do you know where you are?”

“I’m on the ground on an arena, looking at a horse named Rogue Titan.”

Armin nodded. “And who am I?”

“Armin Arlert, my best friend.”

“Right. Who is he?”

“Levi Ackerman, my trainer.”

“What day is it?”

“Hell if I know! Saturday?”

“Hm, fine. He’s good for now. Keep him down, Levi. Eren, don’t even try to sit up again, okay? If there’s damage, you could make it worse. We don’t know if your neck is injured.”

“But my neck feels fine!”

“But you’re staying down regardless! For once, Eren, just don’t fight this.”

“Fine.” He mumbled, none too happy about his current situation.

“Uh, anyone want to help me out, here?”

Levi and Armin craned their necks to look, but Levi’s arm held Eren’s head firmly in place. “No moving.” He said simply. “What is it?”

“He’s not going.”

“What do you mean ‘he’s not going?’”

“The horse. He won’t move!”

“Did you try a treat? Perhaps you have some prunes in your pockets you can tempt him out with.”

“I’m not that old!” Erwin protested. “And yes, I did try. He just stared at it!”

“Well then what the hell do you want me to do?” 

“I don’t know, you’re the horse whisperer or some shit, you do something!”

“I can’t, I’m watching over Eren!”

Their argument was cut short by Rogue’s sudden neighing.

“Shit!” Erwin cursed. “He’s trying to get away!”

“Don’t let him, dumbass!”

“I’m trying!”

“Everyone, quiet!” Armin’s voice interjected this time. “I have an idea.” He stood up from beside Eren and walked to Erwin, holding out a hand for the reins. “Trust me, sir. I think I know what he wants.”

“Armin, I can barely handle this horse. I don’t mean to be insulting, but I don’t think-”

“I know, sir. But please let me try this?”

“Try what?” Erwin sounded cautious.

Armin sighed in exasperation. “He wants to go to Eren. O-or at least that’s what I think he wants. I could be wrong but… I don’t think I am.”

There was silence for a moment, and Eren soon heard the sound of hooves coming towards him. A shadow fell over his face, and Eren raised his eyes up. Above him was Rogue, peering cautiously down at him. Armin was watching him carefully, measuring every move the horse made and anticipating the worst.

Very slowly, Rogue lowered his head down, pressing his nose gently against Eren’s stomach. The boy held his breath, unsure of what else to do. When the horse remained there, breathing warm air softly against his stomach, Eren reached up slowly and patted his nose. “G-good boy.”

Levi stared at the gelding in shock. Never had he seen a horse do something like that; not this quickly. Not on the first day they’d met someone. After Eren had spoken, Rogue raised his head and looked at Armin expectantly, as if to ask why they weren’t leaving already.

With a pat on the nose and a slightly smug smile, Armin handed the horse off to a slightly stunned Erwin and returned to Eren’s side.

“Aha… I guess he’s not a bad horse then, eh Levi?” Eren joked weakly, earning himself a stern glare from Levi.

Eren and Armin chatted idly while waiting for the ambulance, Eren’s head still cradled gently in the crook of Levi’s arm.

They were still in that position when the ambulance arrived, but Eren had managed to sneak his hand back into Levi’s, and neither of them was embarrassed when the EMTs forced them away from each other.

Maybe, just maybe, Levi was feeling the same things as Eren. Or maybe he had just taken pity on him in his current state. For now, Eren had no way of knowing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art:  
> Yeah, Im lazy and haven't scanned anything. That, and Im not entirely sure how to work the new scanner
> 
> Glossary:  
> No new terms for this chapter^^


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Umm wow. This has been a long wait. I apologise, I feel really bad. Things have been tough for many reasons, and I had a really hard time writing. Please forgive me. Things might be a bit slow for a while, but hopefully there won't be any more nearly month long waits between chapters. 
> 
> This chapter is a bit short, but I think things are pulling together nicely now! Thanks to [Hope](http://avengingthelevisquad.tumblr.com) for being as excited about this fic as I am. She was a big motivator for this chapter. 
> 
> I changed the summary finally! Keep an eye out for tag changes soon, as well. I have a few new things in mind.
> 
> [my tumblr](http://tinycaptainlevi.tumblr.com)  
> [fic tumblr](http://rymdhingst.tumblr.com)  
> ✧tag things as "Fic: flying lead change" "fic: flc" or "tinycaptainlevi" if you want me to see something✧

Eren insisted he was fine, but no one listened to him. They still asked him endless amounts of questions, measured his blood pressure, his temperature, shone lights in his eyes, and wheeled him into the hospital with a dumbass neck brace. He hated the whole ordeal, and had assured them over and over that he felt fine. Nothing was wrong with him.

They’d ignored him, saying that he’d been out for far too long for him to be considered “fine.” He’d been wheeled in for x-rays, and was subjected to even more testing before the doctors decided that somehow, he had miraculously survived the incident with no serious head, brain, or neck trauma. No concussion, no fractures, no anything. He was perfectly, 100% okay. Eren was tempted to stick his tongue out and taunt them with an “I told you so!” when they told him the news, but managed to restrain himself. 

He was instructed to take it easy for the next few days, just in case. He promised them he would, but he was sure the doctors knew that was a lie. Feeling like he could use a nap, Eren walked out into the main lobby of the hotel, only to be confronted by a worried Mikasa. With no Armin in tow, surprisingly.

“Eren! I heard from Erwin what happened. The doctors wouldn’t let me up to see how you were. How are you feeling? Are you alright?"

“Hey, sorry they wouldn’t let you up. They wouldn’t let me out, so really it was just unfair to the both of us.” His sister scoweled and he gave a sheepish grin. Maybe now wasn’t the time for jokes.

“So… I’m guessing you’re not happy about this whole thing?”

“Of course I’m not! I knew you’d be putting yourself in danger with this job—with this riding obsession. Something like this was bound to happen. Erwin and that other one, Luigi or whatever the hell his name is, should have known that horse was unsafe. They never should have let you get on something that unpredictable.”

“First, his name is Levi. Second, I knew the dangers, Mika. I agreed to this job willingly, dangers included. I knew the risk of getting on that horse, but I did it anyways. I’m almost an adult, and I can handle myself well enough.”

“Exactly. You’re _almost_ an adult, but not yet. You still have five months left.”

“I know! I have five months to become a good enough rider for Pixis to accept me into the program. I can’t do that without my own horse, and I _needed_ to ride Rogue. I needed to try him, to see if I could handle it. And you know what Mika? I think he’s the horse I want.”

“Eren, you rode him once, and it ended in you being thrown off with a free trip to the hospital. Wait, nevermind, it wasn’t free. How do you expect to pay for this? Hospital trips aren’t cheap, especially when you get your own personal escort. I am _not_ letting you get a dangerous horse that will only land you in the hospital over and over. There’s no way we can afford that. You are not getting that horse.”

“But what happened after he threw me? He wanted to see if I was okay after. He refused to leave the arena until Erwin brought him over to me. I don’t think he threw me with the intention of hurting me. He was testing me—seeing what I would do. I failed his test this time, but I won’t next time. I can’t give up after something like that. I’ve entered a battle, and I’m going to win.”

Mikasa stared at him with eyes narrowed. There was no doubt that she thought he was positively insane for speaking that way, but he couldn’t think of any other way to describe it. He was going to battle with Rogue until one of them won, and he would not back down until he was the victor.

Eventually deciding that it was best to leave Eren’s words unquestioned, she countered, “And how much do you plan to spend on this battle? How are you going to pay for this?”

“W-what do you mean?”

“Were you not listening literally two minutes ago?” Mikasa sounded exasperated. “You were brought here in an ambulance. Ambulances cost money. They took x-rays. _Those cost money, Eren._ And it’s money that neither of us has to spare right now!”

 The blood drained from Eren’s face. “I… I don’t know.”

How _were_ they going to pay? He doubted their insurance covered the whole trip, and Mikasa was too proud to accept money from anyone else. They were on their own.

“We can’t afford any of this. We can’t afford for you to get more injuries. You. Are. Not. Getting. That. Horse.” Her voice was sharp, and Eren almost flinched. He was determined to make Rogue his horse, but Mikasa was determined that he never go near the gelding again.

“I agree.” A voice spoke up from somewhere behind Eren, startling him.

He spun around, and his eyes widened when he recognised the shorter man. “L-Levi! Why are you here?”

“We’ll get to that in a moment, but it’s not important right now. What did they say?”

Eren swallowed hard, his stomach clenching. The hand Levi had been holding tingled at his proximity, and Eren made it into a fist to hopefully stop the sensation. He hoped that experience earlier hadn’t made things too awkward between them. But naturally, Eren’s own actions were what made the situation nearly unbearable.

“It, um, they uh said that I was fine. No injury, not even a concussion. They uh, just said to take it easy for a while?” His statement sounded like a question and he mentally kicked himself for sounding like such an idiot.

“Great. I’ll let Pixis know you’ll be taking the next week or so off.”

Eren felt himself blush and prepared to argue, but Mikasa cut in first. “And who are you to say when he gets off?”

“I’m his trainer, and the one paying his medical bills. I’m not paying unnecessary money because he went out and strained himself to the point of injury after this. He’s taking time off work and riding. End of story.”

“Oh, right, you’re the Luigi guy.”She crossed her arms, imitating Levi's posture. 

The shorter man looked momentarily puzzled at the name, a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth. 

"I don't know who Luigi is, but I think you have our names mixed up. I'm Levi, and I'd expect you to be more respectful towards the person who's paying the brat's medical bills."   
Mikasa snorted. "As if we'd let someone we hardly know pay! Don't think you'll be able to pay for your mistakes to be forgiven. Eren fell because of your actions and no amount of money is going to earn my forgiveness." 

"Oh, you think I'm offering to pay?" He smirked and looked Mikasa straight in the eye. Eren nearly swooned like a teenage girl at that smirk. "I'm not offering. I've already settled it. They've been paid and there's no reason for you to worry about them."

Eren swore steam was going to start coming out of Mikasa's ears. Her jaw twitched, and she clenched her fists. She hated being a charity case, and he knew she would end up trying to find a way to pay Levi back, assuming she accepted his payment. 

"Your money isn't earning you anything good from me, you know." 

"Oh, I didn't expect it to. But I'm the one who demanded an ambulance be called, so I'm the one who paid. It's only fair, and there's no room for argument. It's been taken care of and there's no way to change that now, understand?" 

Mikasa was silent, unsure of what to say. Eren moved closer and nudged her, keeping an eye on Levi the whole time. She jumped at his touch—it appeared he had been completely forgotten about during their conversation. "Just take his money, Mika. It'll save us a lot of trouble, I promise." 

After a moment of internal debating, she straightened up and uncrossed her arms. "Fine. But I will find a way to repay you for this. I don't like being in other people's debt."

"Nor do I." Levi countered coolly. "I will not accept any repayments you try to give me, however. I know the kind of person you are, and I’d appreciate if you accepted just this one thing. I practically shit money, so this won’t cause me any problems.”

Mikasa responded with a grunt and turned to Eren. “We’re going home.”

“N-no!” Eren protested. “M-my things are uh, still at the barn. I need to stop by and get them. Also I wanna um, speak to Erwin and Pixis if I’m going to be taking time off.” He swallowed and looked nervously at Levi. He wasn’t sure his stomach would be able to handle this, but he spoke anyways. “I was thinking m-maybe Levi could take me back.” There was no way he was letting Mikasa take him back to work. She would follow him everywhere, eyes watching like a hawk in case he tried anything stupid.

He was a stuttering mess. Maybe he shouldn’t have asked. He probably wouldn’t survive the ride back, assuming Levi and Mikasa complied with his suggestion.

Mikasa’s expression was instantly on guard, and Eren knew she was not down with this plan. “Please Mika. I need to talk to them and my car’s there. I don’t want to make Armin drive me again. You can just meet me back at home. I won’t take long, I promise.”

“Levi hasn’t even said he’d drive you, Eren.”

Eren turned to meet Levi’s eyes, slowly. “W-will you?”

“Will I what?” Levi’s lip twitched, like he wanted to smirk but was just barely containing himself. “Marry you? Sorry, but I’m not open to that kind of commitment at this time.”  
Eren’s face turned bright red and he looked away. “No…” An image of Levi in a wedding dress had made an unwelcome entrance into his head, and he was fairly sure he was blushing all over at this point.

“Can you take m-me back to the barn t-to talk to Erwin and Pixis a-and get my things?” He managed to stutter out. Oh, god. He had dug himself into a hole. Why had he even thought this a good idea in the first place?

Mostly he had just wanted to get away from Mikasa for a bit, but if Levi agreed to take him in his car, then he would have to face Levi.

Really, there was no good way to get out of this situation.

He could deal with Mikasa and her need to protect, or he could deal with Levi and the complex mix of feelings that came with. He figured Levi was the easier of the two.    
Levi looked at him, considering. “Oui, sure.”

Eren was surprised he had answered so quickly. “O-oh! Thanks. So I’ll uh, meet you back at home then, Mikasa? I won’t take too long.”

“Fine. But drive home safely. If you feel dizzy or sick, call me.”

“I will, promise.”

“Humph. Be home by five. Armin’ll be over, he’ll want to talk to you, too.”

Armin would be over? Well, there was his incentive to get home on time. “Okay.”

Mikasa didn’t look back as she walked out of the hospital. Eren took a deep breath and turned towards Levi, waiting for him to tell him what to do. 

“We’ve caused enough shit in here today. Go.” He pointed at the automatic doors, indicating that Eren was to walk first.

They walked to Levi’s car in silence, neither sure of exactly what to say. The day had been a mess of events, and Eren felt like the day had dragged on forever. And it was only just 2:00.  The doors unlocked with a quiet clicking sound, and Eren reached out to grab the handle. He stood, staring down at his hand for a few moments. He was about to do this. He was about to willingly get into a car with Levi, alone. He wouldn’t be asleep, and Armin wouldn’t be there. There was going to be tension, and possibly conversation. A lot had happened since this morning, and Eren still had no idea if Levi’s hand holding had been to comfort him, or because of something more.

Levi rolled down the window, making Eren jump. He looked irritated; a scowl on his face. “Oi, you getting in the car or not? I don’t have all day.”

“Sorry, sir!” Eren clumsily pulled open the door and fell inside. He was ready, he could do this.

“Seatbelt on.” Levi warned when Eren gave him a look, questioning why they still hadn’t left.

“Oh, right.” He clicked the belt into place, and looked straight ahead.

This was going to be a long ride.

* * *

Eren suffered through ten minutes of silence before he decided he couldn’t take it anymore. Well, he might as well tackle one issue head on, right? 

“I want Rogue.”

Levi’s hands immediately tightened on the wheel. “You’re not getting Rogue.”

“Why not?”

“You just got back from the hospital, I think that speaks for itself."

“So? As if you’ve never been to the hospital because of riding before! Erwin’s been to the hospital because of Folly, but that doesn’t mean he got rid of her!” And nerves Eren had felt were gone—he was now more frustrated than anything.

“You are not brining Erwin into this. His accident is none of your business, and I expect you to drop it immediately.”

Eren’s face burned and he apologised. He hadn’t meant to anger Levi. Luckily, Levi didn’t seem to be finished with his argument.

“None of my horses threw me the first time I got on them. It’s not the same. I won’t let you get a horse that you can’t trust right away.”

“Isn’t that the point, though? You have to build the trust. You can’t expect it to appear right away.”

“Full trust takes time, but basic trust between horse and rider has to be present from the start, otherwise it will never work.” Levi kept his eyes dead ahead, refusing to so much as glance over at Eren. “Drop the conversation, Eren.”

The brunette clenched his fists against his legs. “No! I will not. I like Rogue, and I trust him. Even if you think I shouldn’t, I trust him. I know he didn’t do it to hurt me, he did it to test me. He wanted to see what kind of rider I am. Would I get up? Would I stay down? Would I get mad at him, or forgive him? He didn’t expect me to stay down because I got hurt, so when he noticed something was wrong, he checked on me. Don’t you remember? He didn’t want to leave with Erwin. When he came over, he was gentle. He was checking if I was okay. How could I not trust that?”

“Because he threw you on your first ride, Eren! I shouldn’t have let you even get on him, and I definitely shouldn’t have let you try and jump him. After the first jump went bad, I should have made you get off.”

Did Levi think it was his fault? “No, I’m glad I kept going! I’m glad you didn’t make me get off. Because of it, I now know what horse I want. Is that not a good thing?” He hesitated, deciding to throw in a last remark. Maybe it would soften him up? "Thanks for paying my bills, by the way. You didn't have to." 

“It was my fault, I wouldn't let you pay for my mistakes. I had to. And I’m not letting you get that horse.”

So, he did think it was his fault. However, Eren's weak attempt at perhaps changing the direction of the conversation had failed. “I’m getting that horse.”

They were silent again after that, both too frustrated to keep the argument going.

* * *

The drive back to the barn was further than Eren had expected. They must’ve been in a hospital that was pretty far out. Eren’s nerves had returned, and he was unsure if he wanted to bring up the next topic or not. Did he want to ask Levi about his reaction to Eren falling? Surely no casual acquaintance would have reacted in that way. No casual acquaintance would have held his hand. He debated with himself for a good period of time; staring intensely at his lap and opening and closing his mouth several times before chickening out at the last minute. 

He had almost built up enough bravery to speak when the car stopped, and Levi looked over at him. “Pixis should be in his office.” Eren swallowed and nodded, “Okay.”  
“I’ll be with Corporal. Find me when you’re done.”

They both got out of the car, and Levi walked away, leaving Eren to puzzle over his words.

* * *

The conversation with Pixis had been largely uneventful. He had gotten straight to the point, mentioning that he, too, thought Eren needed to take time off. Eren had desperately mentioned that there was no way he could afford that, neither mentally or financially. Pixis had assured him he would be paid for medical leave, but Eren refused to take an entire week off.

After a bit of bartering, Eren left the man’s office with a 4 day paid leave from work, and permission to visit if needed. He wouldn’t be allowed to do any work or riding, and would be in trouble if he so much as tried, but he would be allowed on the property. For Eren, that was all he needed to hear.

On his way back to grab his things and possibly find Levi, Eren pulled out his phone. A look at the parking lot told him Erwin wasn’t here, and that there would be little chance of him returning before Eren left. He pulled up a new message to Erwin, deciding he could just do this over text.  
**To: Mr Eyebrows  
** I want to get Rogue, but Levi refuses. Please help

 **From: Mr Eyebrows**  
u want rogue? as in the horse?

Eren nearly rolled his eyes at Erwin’s use of text talk.

 **To: Mr Eyebrows**  
Yes, the horse. I want him.

 **From: Mr Eyebrows**  
u havnt looked at other horses yet

 **To: Mr Eyebrows**  
I want Rogue. Please convince Levi to let me get him

 **From: Mr Eyebrows**  
im not getting u him until u  look at others

 **To: Mr Eyebrows**  
Okay but Im just asking for you to convince Levi to let me get him if I really decide that

 **From: Mr Eyebrows**  
ok

 **From: Mr Eyebrows  
** promise 2 look at more

 **To: Mr Eyebrows**  
Okay I promise to look at more

 **From: Mr Eyebrows**  
ok

 **From: Mr Eyebrows**  
ill try 2 talk 2 him

Feeling a bit more hopeful in his chances of acquiring Rogue as his own, Eren continued his walk into the barn. Yes, he would get that horse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art:  
> Look at [this](http://rymdhingst.tumblr.com/post/116423557602/alamari-chibi-that-moment-when-you-decide-to) SUPER cute Rogue by [alamari-chibi](http://alamari-chibi.tumblr.com)!
> 
> Glossary:  
> Nothing this time!


	13. UPDATE

Hey I'm so sorry this isn't a real chapter. I'm probably going to put one more chapter in here, and then abandon this fic. I'm v sorry ): I'm just not feeling it anymore and I'm not into anime too much now.  
If you wanna keep up w me, I'm on tumblr as acxerman still, on Twitter as moontyIer, and on Instagram as forestlevii so if ur into twenty one pilots hmu!!!  
I'm really sorry to have to announce I'll be abandoning it, but a lot has changed in my life and I just can't bring myself to continue. Pls forgive me.  
Additionally, I'm changing my username to skeletonndun if you want to read more of my future work!!!!


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